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Workforce Florida Weekly Update 10-17-07 |
CONTENTS The State & RegionsGovernor Crist Presents National Workforce Award to Senator Gaetz ~ Gaetz is recognized for his significant contribution to Florida’s workforce system. Tallahassee – Governor Charlie Crist yesterday presented Senator Don Gaetz with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), William L. Heartwell, Jr. Award for his contributions to Florida’s workforce system and the development of the Florida Career and Professional Education Act. Joined for the announcement by Agency for Workforce Innovation Director Monesia T. Brown, Governor Crist honored Gaetz for further fostering a statewide partnership between both the workforce and education systems. “I applaud the efforts of Senator Gaetz. His hard work has resulted in the creation of state-wide career and professional academies that allow education to be demand-driven,” said Governor Crist. “Through an exciting partnership between the business, education and workforce communities we are exploring ways to transform Florida’s classrooms, address our workforce needs, and create a pipeline of skilled workers.” NASWA is a national organization composed of state administrators of employment and training services, labor market information and unemployment insurance from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This national award is presented to one person annually. Senator Gaetz was nominated by Regional Workforce Board directors Mary Lou Reed and Rusty Skinner and is Florida’s second Heartwell Award recipient. Former Lt. Governor Toni Jennings received the award in 2005. “Senator Gaetz is a valuable asset to the workforce system,” said Director Brown. “His incredible diligence and drive have transformed Florida’s workforce services and paved the way for the next generation of skilled workers by recognizing the significant connection between education and a successful workforce.” As Superintendent of Okaloosa Schools from 2000 to 2006, Gaetz founded the CHOICE Institutes, which allow high school students to simultaneously earn national industry certifications in high-demand careers while earning high school diplomas and college credits, all without cost to the student. Declared a national model for career education by the US Department of Labor, CHOICE is now being replicated in more than a dozen Florida school districts. Thousands of students are enrolled. The typical CHOICE graduate leaves high school with technical certifications awarded by industry and college credits worth over $18,000. Many of these students had been underperformers or potential dropouts. CHOICE students are now doing better in math and as well in reading as the overall populations of their schools. Elected to the Florida State Senate in 2006, Gaetz developed and gained passage of innovative legislation aimed at leading Florida forward in economic development. Being recognized with the Heartwell Award is a national testament to his commitment to creating an educated workforce, more rigorous and relevant curricula, and market-driven schools. “This is a team award, not an individual honor,” said Senator Gaetz. “Okaloosa’s CHOICE Institutes became Florida’s model for career education. Now, with the passage of the Florida Career and Professional Education Act, our state has become a model for America in linking the resources of public education to the workforce needs of regional economies, all for the benefit of students.” Patterned after the highly successful CHOICE (Community High: Okaloosa Institutes for Career Education) model which began in Okaloosa County, the act requires each school district to establish a joint venture with local industry and private or public universities and colleges to establish at least one career and professional academy driven by local market needs by the 2008-2009 school year. The act provides weighted funding if students achieve national industry certification in a career field. Approximately 42 percent of youth do not pursue a post secondary education, making it imperative to prepare them to enter the workforce after high school with job skills that match the needs of local businesses. The CHOICE model and the Career and Professional Education Act give students the nationally-recognized training and credentials they need for immediate high-paying employment while keeping all doors open for additional education from technical colleges to universities. Later this fall, Senator Gaetz and Director Brown will begin visiting locations throughout Florida discussing Career and Professional Academies with local community leaders. They will highlight the role the academies play in connecting Florida’s workforce needs with the development of responsive curriculum that ultimately leads to highly trained, industry certified workers. Governor Crist Addresses First Meeting of Commission on Disabilities ~ Commission members to recommend methods to remove barriers for Floridians with disabilities. TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today addressed the inaugural meeting of the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities in Tallahassee. Governor Crist thanked commission chairman Lance Block, a lifelong advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities, and commission members for their service to the people of Florida. “I am confident that each member of the commission will embrace their role in ensuring equal access for all Floridians to education, employment opportunities and information regarding resources and services,” Governor Crist said. “The commission provides an important forum to make recommendations for opportunities providing independence for Floridians with disabilities.” On July 26, 2007, the 17th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Governor Crist signed Executive Order 07-148, creating the commission, which consists of 19 members. The purpose of the Commission is to advance public policy for Floridians with disabilities and to provide a forum for advocates representing the disabilities community to develop and voice unified concerns and recommendations for improvements. Commission members are stakeholders representing a broad spectrum of interested parties, including individuals with disabilities, as well as state agencies and advocates for persons with disabilities. State agencies under the leadership of Governor Crist will appoint a “disability champion” who will receive ADA training and serve as a liaison between the agency, the commission and the disabilities community. Additionally, the commission will partner with the Statewide Advocacy Council, which will serve as a clearinghouse for disability resources, while providing guidance and education to state agencies regarding the implementation of the ADA. Additional information regarding the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities, including meeting dates and times, can be found at: http://dms.myflorida.com/other_programs/commission_on_disabilities. FHTCC Goes Virtual With High Tech Business Recruitment. The
Florida High Tech Corridor Council (FHTCC) is proud to announce
this week the launch of a unique tool that allows business
relocation and expansion prospects to “visit” the
23-county Corridor without ever leaving their desks. Florida’s Minimum Wage Increase. Florida's minimum wage is $6.79 per hour, effective January 1, 2008. This is up from the $6.67 per hour minimum wage in 2007. On November 2, 2004, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment which created Florida’s minimum wage. The minimum wage applies to all employees in the state who are covered by the federal minimum wage. Florida law requires the Agency for Workforce Innovation to calculate a new minimum wage each year and publish the new minimum wage on January 1. The current minimum wage represents a 1.85 percent change in the federal consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers in the South Region for the 12-month period prior to September 1, 2007. Florida's minimum wage is $.94 more than the current federal minimum wage of $5.85. In deciding whether the federal or state minimum wage applies, federal law directs that businesses must pay the higher of the two. The Florida minimum wage will prevail over the federal rate until such time as the federal minimum wage becomes higher than the state rate. Employers must pay their employees the hourly state minimum wage for all hours worked in Florida. The definitions of "employer," "employee" and "wage" for state purposes are the same as those established under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employers of "tipped employees" who meet eligibility requirements for the tip credit under the FLSA, may count tips actually received as wages under the FLSA. However, the employer must pay "tipped employees" a direct wage. The direct wage is calculated as equal to the minimum wage ($6.79) minus the 2003 tip credit ($3.02), or a direct hourly wage of $3.77 as of January 1, 2008. Employees who are not paid the minimum wage may bring a civil action against the employer or any person violating Florida's minimum wage law. The state attorney general may also bring an enforcement action to enforce the minimum wage. FLSA information and compliance assistance can be found at: http://www.dol.gov/dol/compliance/comp-flsa.htm. Florida Statutes require employers who must pay their employees the Florida minimum wage to post a minimum wage notice in a conspicuous and accessible place in each establishment where these employees work. This poster requirement is in addition to the federal requirement to post a notice of the federal minimum wage. Florida's minimum wage poster is available for downloading in English and Spanish from the Agency for Workforce Innovation's website at: http://www.floridajobs.org/resources/fl_min_wage.html. The federal poster can be downloaded from the U.S. Department of Labor website at: http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/posters/flsa.htm. On May 25, 2007, President George W. Bush signed legislation increasing the federal minimum wage. The new federal minimum wage increases in a three-step process as follows:
Florida Hospitals Find Wealth of Talent Among People Over 50 (By Mark Larson, Workforce Management). For the second year running, two hospitals near Orlando have been named by AARP as among the country’s best 50 employers of workers over 50. The routine hiring and retention of employees over the age of 50 has attracted national attention for two affiliated central Florida hospitals. Leesburg Regional Medical Center and nearby sister unit the Villages Regional Hospital were recently named as winners of the 2007 MetLife Foundation/Civic Ventures Breakthrough Awards for employing older workers. And for the second year running, the two Florida hospitals, both several miles northwest of Orlando, have been named by AARP as among the country’s best 50 employers of workers over 50. "We looked to recognize social-purpose employers who were valuing workers 50 and older as part of their labor force," says Phyllis Segal, a vice president at San Francisco-based think tank Civic Ventures. The organization focuses on plugging in the talents and experience of older adults. Segal directed the Breakthrough Awards program, which cited 10 organizations. That recognition, adds Segal, includes recruitment and retention of older workers. They’re in the baby boomer generation, and many are interested in an "encore" career that combines meaningful work and helps their communities, she says, while allowing them flexible hours and benefits. "Leesburg [Regional Medical Center, along with the Villages Regional Hospital] is one of the prime examples of that," Segal says. "They are at the cutting edge of what will become a future where older adults are contributing in significant ways to the success of employers like Leesburg in serving its community." Lori Parham, Florida director of AARP, says Leesburg and the Villages made the list for using a variety of strategies showing the value of older workers, such as offering flexible work schedules and using a senior placement agency to recruit hospital staff. Read the complete article at: http://www.workforce.com/section/06/feature/25/16/53/index.html. Grant Awarded to the Suncoast Workforce Board for Juvenile Offender Program. The Suncoast Workforce Board has announced that the Suncoast Workforce Board is one of only two recipients in Florida to be awarded a special supplemental grant of $464,380 from the U.S. Department of Labor for Project Return. Project Return is the Suncoast Workforce Board's employment and training program targeting juvenile offenders. These new funds will be used for critical academic remediation of program participants. For more information, contact Fedora Ford-Kendricks at (941) 714-7449, extension 177 or via email at FFord@swdb.org. Indian River County Career Center Temporarily Closed. The Career Center located at 1404 Old Dixie Highway in Vero Beach is temporarily closed due to flooding. Workforce services are offered temporarily at 1436E Old Dixie Highway in the same complex as the Career Center. Clients may call 772-359-1018 for information. A mobile unit is on site to provide assistance to job seekers. Individuals applying through the Career Center for jobs with Piper Aircraft are to report to the Piper Training Center at Simcom, 2926 Piper Drive in Vero Beach. Applicants are asked to park in the first lot (receiving) on the right on Piper Drive. Applicants may call 1-866-482-4473 for additional information. This is the second time the Career Center closed due to an unforeseen disaster. In September 2004, the Center was displaced for seven months when Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne destroyed the facility. During that time, the Vero community rallied around the Center. The county provided temporary space at the public library and gasoline for the generators on the mobile workforce center. A dedicated staff provided by Arbor Employment & Training, the Workforce Board’s service provider, continued to serve customers from the temporary locations. The Career Centers, sponsored by the Workforce Board, a non-profit consisting primarily of private business leaders and representatives of economic development, education, labor and community-based organizations, provide workforce solutions for employers and job seekers. The Board sponsors 4 Career Centers and a satellite service center throughout the Treasure Coast. The NationFive Florida Groups Among 96 Groups to Receive U.S. Labor Department’s First Youthbuild Awards - $47 Million Will Improve Communities In 36 States And District Of Columbia. DAYTON, Ohio — U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced the award of $47 million to 96 groups that will provide education in construction as well as leadership training to at-risk young people across the United States, who will take part in building affordable housing in their own communities. Dayton's Improved Solutions for Urban Systems, one of the award-winning organizations, hosted the department's announcement of its first YouthBuild grant selections from hundreds of competitively screened proposals. "These $47 million in YouthBuild awards will help at-risk youths get the education, training and opportunity they need to achieve a better life," said Secretary Chao. YouthBuild will include individuals who have been in the juvenile justice system, young people aging out of foster care, high school dropouts and others. "Young people in YouthBuild can take pride in the fact that they are not only improving their own lives, but also making a positive difference for their families, friends and neighbors," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. "Their participation in this creative program will help them take the first steps toward a variety of rewarding educational opportunities and careers." The program's original goals remain — to educate, provide construction training and employ at-risk youth in their communities — while a greater emphasis is being placed on offering postsecondary education and forging stronger links with the One-Stop Career Center system and the nation's community colleges. Over $2.2 million will be awarded to five Florida organizations located in Ft. Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers, Cocoa and Pensacola. For the complete press release and a link to the list of grantees go to: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20071522.htm. For more information on YouthBuild grants and other Department of Labor youth employment programs, visit www.doleta.gov/youth_services. Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Clerk of Circuit Court for Hillsborough County, Florida, to Defend Employment Rights of Army Reservist. WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Tracey Marshall, a first sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, against the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County, Fla., (“the Clerk”) alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA). The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Fla., on Friday, alleges that the Clerk violated USERRA by failing and refusing to reinstate Marshall to her civilian employment position as supervisor of the Court Clerk II Section. The Department’s complaint alleges that Marshall would have been employed as supervisor of the Court Clerk II Section if her continuous civilian employment with the Clerk had not been interrupted by Marshall’s activation to full-time military duty in August 2005. USERRA requires that reservists who are called to active duty be reemployed by their civilian employers in the same positions that the reservist would have held had he or she not been called to active duty. The complaint also alleges that the Clerk violated USERRA by transferring Marshall from the Court’s Felony Department to its Traffic Department at a lower rate of pay because Marshall took action to enforce a protection afforded her under USERRA. “This nation values the sacrifices made by its military reservists. No service member should be disadvantaged in the workplace for answering a call to duty” said Rena J. Comisac, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice remains committed to fully protecting the employment rights of persons who serve in the armed forces.” The Justice Department’s lawsuit was filed after the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service of the Department of Labor referred complaints filed by Ms. Marshall to the Justice Department upon completion of its investigation and unresolved settlement efforts. USERRA provides that the Department of Justice may appear on behalf of, and act as attorney for, persons whose complaints are referred to Department of Justice by the Department of Labor. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice was given authority over USERRA in 2004. Since that time, the Division has brought 16 USERRA complaints and resolved 13 USERRA claims on behalf of service members, and filed the first ever federal class action lawsuit under USERRA. Additional information about USERRA can be found on the Justice Department Web site at http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/main.htm. TAA Reauthorization Discussion Draft Introduced in
House. House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY)
introduced on October 12, 2007 draft legislation to reauthorize
and expand the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. The draft
legislation would also incorporate an incentive via a $7 billion
distribution of Reed Act funds for states to expand eligibility
for Unemployment Insurance (UI). The UI modernization language
was first proposed in legislation (H.R. 2233) introduced by
House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security
and Family Support Chairman James McDermott (D-WA). Under the
draft TAA bill, entitled the Trade Adjustment Assistance Improvement
Act, the TAA program would be reauthorized through September
30, 2012. The draft bill would expand TAA benefits to service
workers who lose their jobs because of increased exports. The
expanded coverage would allow service workers, including local,
state and federal employees, to be eligible for TAA benefits,
including up to 104 weeks of income support for workers participating
in job training. These benefits would be in addition to the
26 weeks of unemployment insurance. Additional benefits included
under the draft bill include up to 130 weeks of government-funded
training, enhanced health care coverage, up to $1,500 in job
search allowance for workers who must search for jobs outside
their commuting area, and up to $1,500 in relocation allowances.
For manufacturing workers, the bill would eliminate an eligibility
requirement that certain coverage based on worker dislocation
must be tied to trade with Canada or Mexico. A press release
by Chairman Rangel's office indicates Members of the Committee
on Ways and Means will work over the coming weeks to improve
the legislation and to then begin consideration. The draft
bill and materials summarizing it are available by clicking
on the links below. Link to House Committee on Ways and Means
draft TAA bill: Headlines from NASWA’s Workforce Bulletin – October 12, 2007:
Grant and Competitive Award Opportunities and NoticesFor current information, visit the External Grant Opportunities page.Featured Opportunity:(none) Upcoming Meetings, Conferences and
Events
Workforce Florida Board and Related Meetings Schedule:For up-to-date WFI board meeting info please check the calendar at the WFI website. October 24, 2007 November 7, 2007 November 8, 2007 Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
October 18-19, 2007 October 23, 2007; November 13, 2007; and December 11, 2007
(see individual registration info below) October 25 - 26, 2007 Oct. 27-30, 2007 October 30-31, 2007 October 31, 2007 November 15-17, 2007 Jan. 15-18, 2008 January 22-25, 2008 May 18-20, 2008 Odds and EndsFlorida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson
Offers “Opt-Out” Information (Florida Consumer E-Newsletter - October 2007 Edition). Unsolicited
calls, emails, and letters regarding “pre-screened” or “pre-approved” offers
of credit have become an integral part of the marketing plan
for many creditors/lenders, especially in the mortgage industry.
Most consumers find themselves inundated with these solicitations
soon after applying for a line of credit. Many even feel
betrayed, wondering why this company was able to sell or
share their personal information without their consent. U.S. General Services Administration “GovGab Blog”. This general government blog has been launched by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to further improve citizen access to official government information and services. The blog features daily posts from a GSA team of five managers, each drawing on his or her professional experience as a government information expert to help spotlight U.S. government information and services of greatest use in Americans' daily lives. The daily posts will cover a wide range of topics from, "What to do when an airline loses your luggage," to, "How to submit a recipe to the Library of Congress cookbook." Readers can respond directly by leaving a comment. http://GovGab.gov. New HUD Homeless Resource Exchange (HRE) Available Now. The Homelessness Resource Exchange is a one-stop shop for information and resources for providers who are assisting persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. http://www.hudhre.info/. Quote for the Week:“Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt |
