Workforce Florida President's Report for January 2009

Rising to the Challenge

Helping Floridians Enter and Advance in the Workforce

In last month's report, I discussed our No. 1 priority for 2009 -- getting unemployed Floridians back to work and keeping gainfully employed Floridians growing within their professions. Governor Charlie Crist has urged bold, new solutions for meeting this challenge and, this month, Workforce Florida's Executive Committee took a major step toward that goal. That's why, despite growing economic challenges, it's been an upbeat, exciting month here at Workforce Florida, as we continue to work with our partners on solutions that will lead to new jobs, and in many cases training, for out-of-work Floridians. In keeping with our demand-driven, business-led, strategic approach, the Executive Committee recently voted to redirect $6 million in federal workforce funds, designated for state-level initiatives under Workforce Florida's authority, to the developing Employ Florida Healthcare Workforce Initiative. The $6 million from Workforce Florida is expected to be deployed through multiple projects across the state.

Briefly, the initiative allows -- through Memoranda of Understanding among Workforce Florida, one or more Regional Workforce Boards and healthcare providers -- for incumbent worker training to enable employed workers to move to the next level of licensure, while also identifying unemployed Floridians with the aptitude and interest in entering the healthcare profession and offering them training to do so. Once hired and after an appropriate period of time, additional training would be provided to those entry-level workers to ensure they build upon their beginning skills. The healthcare sector is being targeted for this initiative because health services/educational services is the leading sector of our state economy for job growth, according to state labor market information.

The pilot for this initiative will be a Memorandum of Understanding among Workforce Florida, the South Florida Workforce Board and HCA, Inc., which is the fifth-largest private employer in our state. South Florida is projected to experience job loss surpassed only by Los Angeles and New York, according to a recent study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The South Florida Workforce Board and HCA will invest leveraged funding (cash and in-kind) to maximize the reach and scope of the pilot, which will serve as a model for similar targeted training efforts in other parts of the state and with other Regional Workforce Boards, based on the availability of funds. The initial response to this initiative, which is still taking shape, has been exceptional and we look forward to potential opportunities to expand it once the pilot is up and running.