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Workforce Florida Weekly Update 01-23-08 |
CONTENTS The State & RegionsGovernor Crist Announces Over 20,000 Enrolled in Florida Discount Drug Card Program. TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today announced 20,624 Floridians have signed up for the Florida Discount Drug Card since its launch on December 20, 2007. Members have filled more than 3,000 prescriptions and saved more than $58,000 on their prescription-drug costs. Governor Crist was joined by Doug Beach, Secretary of the Department of Elder Affairs, and Bob Butterworth, Secretary of the Department of Children and Families, at Eastwood Pharmacy in Tallahassee, owned by Richard Brafford. “In just a little over a month, the response to the Florida Discount Drug Card has been tremendous” Governor Crist said. “Families and seniors without prescription drug coverage are finding real relief for their out-of-pocket medication expenses.” Individuals qualify for the card if they are age 60 and older and do not have prescription drug coverage, or if they are in the Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage gap. Individuals and families under age 60 may be eligible if they have an annual income of less than 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and do not have prescription drug coverage. The drug most often purchased using the Florida Discount Drug Card was the generic drug, carisoprodol, a medication used to treat muscle spasms. Members saved 53 percent on their purchase of the drug. The discount is made possible through price negotiations conducted by the pharmacy benefits manager Envision Pharmaceutical Services. Envision secures volume discounts on prescription drugs, and participating pharmacies agree to the negotiated prices. The savings are then passed on to consumers. Currently, almost 3,800 retail pharmacies have agreed to accept the Florida Discount Drug Card, and Governor Crist encouraged all Florida pharmacies to participate in the program. If a consumer learns a pharmacy is not enrolled in the program, the pharmacy can be enrolled on a temporary basis so the consumer can take advantage of the discount immediately. A 24-hour pharmacy help line is available at 1-800-361-4542 or TTY 1-866-763-9630 to assist with pharmacy enrollment. Once the pharmacy has signed a contract, it can permanently join the program. To enroll in the program, applicants who do not have prescription drug coverage must provide their name and contact information as well as information about family members. Individuals under age 60 also must provide qualifying income information. Qualifying annual incomes for individuals under age 60 are up to $30,636 for an individual, $41,076 for a family of two and $61,956 for a family of four. Income limits for other family sizes are available on the Web site. There is no application fee for the Florida Discount Drug Card; however, there is a one time $1.50 activation fee added onto the cost of the first prescription and a $1.50 dispensing fee added to all prescriptions. If the pharmacy’s usual and customary price is lower than the Florida Discount Drug price, the customer will pay the lower price. Additionally, if the customer qualifies for any other prescription discounts, they will always pay the lowest price. To apply for the Florida Discount Drug Card, visit: www.FloridaDiscountDrugCard.com and complete an online application or enroll over the phone by calling 1-866-341-8894 or TTY 1-866-763-9630. Florida Unemployment Rate Remains Below National Average ~ State job growth remains slow. TALLAHASSEE – Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in December 2007, representing 441,000 jobless out of a labor force of 9,312,000. Florida’s unemployment rate was up by 0.4 percentage point over the month and up by 1.4 percentage points over the year. The national unemployment rate was 5.0 percent in December 2007. The December 2007 rate of 4.7 percent was the highest rate since September 2004, which was also 4.7 percent. Florida had the fourth lowest unemployment rate of the ten most populous states, based on the latest nationwide data, and has been below the national average since mid-2002. Florida’s nonagricultural employment growth rate was 1.1 percent in December, representing a gain of 85,800 new jobs over the year, to reach a total employment level of 8,155,400. This was 0.1 percentage point above the national job growth rate for December. The November and December 2007 job growth rates of 1.1 percent were the slowest for the state since November 2003. Based on the latest nationwide data, Florida ranked third in job growth rate among the ten most populous states, behind Texas and Georgia. Florida ranked second among the ten most populous states in the number of new jobs over the year, behind only Texas.“The Agency is working closely with our partners in education, workforce and economic development to create innovative programs that will build the state's workforce to help keep Florida's economy vibrant," said Monesia T. Brown, Director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation. "We also encourage Floridians who need employment assistance to visit any of our nearly 100 one-stop centers throughout the state." To read the complete release go to: http://www.floridajobs.org/publications/news_rel/LMS%20Release%2001-18-08.pdf. Governor Crist Announces Black History Month Contests ~ Invites Florida Students And Teachers To Participate, Win Awards Of College Scholarships, Prizes. TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist this week announced Florida’s Black History Month “Pioneering the Future” Web site and invited students in kindergarten through 12th grades to participate in the Florida Black History Month essay contest. The Governor also encouraged students, parents, teachers and principals to nominate full-time African-American educators in elementary, middle or high schools for the Black History Month Excellence in Education Award. “Black History Month offers a tremendous opportunity for all Floridians to learn more about the brave and determined individuals who overcame injustice and obstacles to achieve remarkable feats,” Governor Crist said. “These men and women stood firm to right the wrongs they endured and established new paths to freedom and opportunity for future generations.” The essay contest is open to all Florida students in kindergarten through 12th grades. One winner will be selected from each of the three grade-level categories, elementary (grades K-5), middle (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12). Winners will receive a computer and a full four-year tuition scholarship to a Florida public college or university of their choice, provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation. Essays should answer the question: “How have the contributions of African-American scientists or inventors impacted your life?” Black History Month celebrates Florida’s African-Americans who have made significant contributions to the development of our state. Beginning with the establishment of St. Augustine, the earliest European settlement in Florida, African-Americans have frequently had to overcome great adversity, yet have held key roles in Florida’s cultural, economic and academic growth. Essay contest winners and award-winning teachers will be notified by February 18, 2008. Awards will be presented at the Governor’s annual Black History Month celebration in Tallahassee on February 20, 2008. Additional information about Florida’s black history, contests and other related events, please visit www.floridablackhistory.com. Floridians Nominated For Academy Awards. The Governor’s Office for Film and Entertainment announced that the following Florida film professionals have been nominated for Academy Awards in their fields. Kudos to them for their Oscar nominations! The nominations were announced for the 80th Academy Awards this week by the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts and Sciences. The following three nominees, recognized as tops in their craft, are members of Florida's IATSE labor union, Local 477.
First Ever WorkNet Wednesday Bilingual Job Fair in Pinellas. CLEARWATER (January 17, 2008) –The need for employees with bilingual proficiency is increasing and many employers in the Tampa Bay area are faced with tough recruiting. To help address this challenge, WorkNet Wednesday will host its first ever bilingual job fair, focusing on the recruitment of bilingual job seekers. Sarah Whitney-Mead, Vice President of Sales for WorkNet Pinellas, states, “Employers participating in February’s WorkNet Wednesday will have an excellent opportunity to tap into the increasing number of workers in transition who are multilingual and multicultural. There’s a strong trend for companies to out-source, but we have a number of qualified candidates right here in the Bay Area, we just need to match them up.” Whitney-Mead adds, “Our research shows a great need for this type of event, so much so that we’ve scheduled a second bilingual fair in August.” Nielsen, BIC Graphic and Bright House Networks are just some of the employers who are taking advantage of the upcoming job fair. WorkNet will be advertising the event on television and in newspapers, such as Television, Telefutura and the St. Petersburg Times. Participating employers will also have access to a dedicated staff onsite the day of the event and computer resources to accept online applications. The bilingual job fair will be held February 13, 2008 from 12:00 to 4:00pm at the EpiCenter (13805 58th Street North) in Clearwater. To register and view a complete listing of WorkNet Wednesday job fair events, please visit www.worknetwednesday.com. The NationCommerce Department Announces Efforts to Quantify
Innovation in the American Economy. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez
today announced steps for the federal statistical agencies
and others to work to explain and quantify one of the largest
and most elusive drivers of the economy -- innovation. Among
the innovation measurement initiatives announced by Gutierrez
were comprehensive accounting of the effect of high-tech goods
and services, measuring the increase in productivity due to
increased investments in innovation and expanding collection
of data on innovation. For the full press release and other
information visit the links below: NASWA Workforce Bulletin Headlines - January 18, 2008:
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. February 13, 2008
February 14, 2008
Other Meetings/Conferences/Events:
January 22-25, 2008 January 30, 2008 January 31-February 2, 2008 February 4-5, 2008 March 11, 2008 March 18-20, 2008 May 13 – 16, 2008 May 18-20, 2008 July 15-17, 2008 Odds and EndsScience and Engineering Indicators 2008 available. The National Science Board's Science and Engineering Indicators 2008 is now available online. The report presents information on science, mathematics, and engineering education at all levels; the scientific and engineering workforce; U.S. and international research and development performance and competitiveness in high technology; and public attitudes and understanding of science and engineering. Access the full report at: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind08/. Web Site Becomes Global Innovation Portal. A new web portal provides access to innovation measurement data from cities and countries around the world. The Centre for Innovation Studies (THECIS), affiliated with the University of Calgary, supports the site, which includes links to original sources of data, compilations of data (such as the National Science Foundation), and analytical reports. It also includes a section on benchmarking methodology. Visit http://www.thecis.ca/index.php?catID=40&itemID=63. Global Population Aging in the 21st Century and Its Economic Implications. In a 2005 report entitled, Global Population Aging in the 21st Century and Its Economic Implications, the Congressional Budget Office reported: Industrialized countries account for roughly 20 percent of the global population, but 80 percent of the gross world product. To read the study go to: http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/69xx/doc6952/12-12-Global.pdf. Quote for the Week:"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." Martin Luther King, Jr. |
