Stimulus Update Newsletter, October 2009

7/25/2019 Stimulus Update Newsletter, October 2009

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STIMULUS UPDATE WORKFORCE CONNECTION -REGION 10 www.clmworkforce.com

Crisis builds community

Respond, Retrain, Re-employ, Recover

Last year, Workforce Connection responded to 23 requests for assistancefrom companies that were experiencing layoffs. These do not represent allthe layoffs that occurred. Those ranged from very small layoffs to 279employees laid off at Merillat. In spring of 2009, it appeared that things mightbe turning around. During March 2009 and April 2009, unemploymentinched downward. Then on August 5, Workforce and its partners weredevastated to hear that Taylor, Bean and Whitaker and three related

businesses were closing.Respond: A Different Kind of First Responder

After hearing the news on Wednesday afternoon, Workforce and CentralFlorida Community College staff met to plan an outplacement services eventwhich served 600 people on Friday, August 7. In less than two days,partners, businesses and community volunteers pulled together to plan anall day outplacement event. Former Taylor Bean employees attended agetting started orientation, met with community resource organizations,registered for unemployment, learned how to use EmployFla.com, andprepared for the Job Fair scheduled for the following Tuesday. Thecommunity came forward to offer support, lunch, job openings and otherresources. The Chamber of Commerce reminded businesses to hire local.

During the Taylor Bean event, community resource organizations wereinvited to become part of the general Job Fair, scheduled just two businessdays later. Once again, partners responded. The response was so positive,community resource organizations were expanded during the SeptemberJob Fair.

By the following Thursday, State Representative Kurt Kelly convenednational, state and local leaders to discuss an overall response to the risingunemployment. Workforce laid out many of the strategies described in detailin the inside of this newsletter. The current situation called for a multi-pronged effort that involved the Ocala/Marion County EconomicDevelopment Corporation (EDC), Ocala/Marion County Chamber ofCommerce, CFCC, local governments, businesses, social serviceorganizations and elected officials.

Retrain: A Primary Focus for Stimulus Funds

With jobs declining; a key focus for Workforce staff and funding is assistingjob candidatesin retraining for growth fields. Staff has been assistingindividuals with the completion of scholarship applications and counselingthese individuals on career planning and job seeking strategies.

Re-employ: Job Candidates have to Work Harder than Ever

Workforce has stepped up efforts to prepare job candidates. From the recentCareer Launchseries to center-based classes to more one-on-one careercoaching, many need help beyond on-line, self-service tools such aswww.EmployFla.com.

Websitewww.clmworkforce.com

YouTubewww.youtube.com/WorkforceCLM

Twitterhttp://twitter.com/WorkforceCLM

Online Columnwww.clmworkforce.com/news.asp

STIMULUS UPDATE OCTOBER 2009

Workforce Connection - Region 10

American Recovery and Reinvestment

(Continued on back page)

WorkforceOnline

Workforce Connection has enrolled1,665 individuals in training for $1.1million and projects to awardanother $1.8 million by December2009.

Performance SnapshotRegion 10 Citrus, Levy and MarionCounties

Training Projections

763

10

115100

Training Participants

ClassroomTrainingOn-the-Job TrainingCustomized TrainingEmployed Worker

August 2009 - Total 988
http://www.employfla.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.employfla.com/http://www.employfla.com/


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Projects at a Glance

DCF Call Center Brings 75 JobsAs a result of large scale layoffs, calls have increased considerably around the state forunemployment compensation, food stamps and public assistance. The increased phonetraffic drove the Dept. of Children and Families to establish a new call center in the state.When Workforce Connection CEO Rusty Skinner heard about the need, Skinner, Dept. ofChildren and Families (DCF) Administrator Bill D'Aiuto and DCF Deputy Director DonWinstead set out to see how our region could be considered. With the large number oftrained call center workers available in Marion County, the area was very attractive as alocation. The Marion County EDC was instrumental in quickly finding a suitable location.Workforce staff identified eligible job candidates for DCF and scheduled interviews for124 people in just a few short weeks. Candidates had to be low-income, have a childunder 18 in the household, and have the required call center experience. The finalselection of employees will occur by October 9th with the call center opening no laterthan November 1. From initial discussion to the DCF Call Center opening, these 75 newjobs were established in Ocala in just 45 days.

Job candidate Tonija Parker, right, of Ocala, interviews for a DCF call centeropening on Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 at CFCC. (Photos by Workforce Connection )

Hundreds of Subsidized Jobs PossibleWhen Workforce learned about Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Emergency Funds from Don Winstead, Deputy Director, DCF, they started researchinghow this untapped pool of Federal Stimulus Funds could be used to help out with thearea's widespread unemployment. The funds, which have never been utilized in Floridafor employment projects, provide 80 cents for every 20 cents contributed from a localpartner. The funding must be used to hire job candidates within 200 percent of thepoverty level and have a child under the age of 18 in the household. Workforce isworking with local govermental agenices to increase local subsiidized jobs.

Students in the West Ocala Green Jobs Project tour the Brytan neighborhood ofGainesville. The homes are high-performing and low cost green homes.

Workforce & Staffing Industry = JobsWhen companies are unsure if their growth is going to be constant, they tap the staffingindustry as a safe way to expand their workforce. By using the staffing industry they areable to dip their toes into the pool and determine if the signs of continued growth exist.

Because of this, Workforce has been having continued dialogue with the areas staffingfirms to strategically determine ways to partner that will assist both the businesses andthe job seekers. One such solution is promoting on-the-job training through staffing firmsfor temp-to-hire positions.

This creative approach put staffing firms out in our community, as a special arm ofWorkforce, to develop jobs with their business clients that result in jobs for our job seekercustomers. This is a perfect match that increases our ability as a system to help ourcommunity businesses grow and to place people into good jobs.

Former Taylor, Bean and Whitaker employees attend a resource event for laid offworkers as they search for opportunities on Aug. 7, 2009 at CFCC.

One-on-one Services Expanded through SchedulingWith the changing workforce market conditions, job candidates need more personalizedattention than they did a year ago. Additional one-on-one time is needed to perfect

resumes, develop creative job seeking strategies, and to develop re-training andscholarship applications. Because of this need, Workforce has restructured their fourcenter schedules to incorporate a mix of walk-in full-service, self-service, andappointments only in order to schedule more one-on-one sessions for dislocatedworkers. For details on the newly structured hours, go to www.clmworkforce.com.

Posters are displayed at all the Workforce centers with the new service hourschallenging all visitiors with, Sky is the limit in career opportunities!

http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/


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Projects at a Glance

Over $5 Million in Retraining Grants WrittenWhile Workforce has been very aggressive in retraining the areas dislocated workers,the need is great. Our local Workforce Investment Act and the American Recovery andReinvestment Act funds are currently 49 percent obligated and it is only September. It isanticipated that 100 percent of current scholarship funds will be obligated by December

2009. Retraining is needed for many of the unemployed in growth occupations such ashealthcare, corrections and green jobs.

With this need in mind, Workforce's senior management team wrote five retraining grantsfor a total of $5 million over the last two months. The grants included $200,000 in StateRapid Response Funds, $158,000 for small business development training and support,$360,000 for healthcare occupations, $1.6 million for a second National EmergencyGrant, and $2.9 million for a West Ocala Green Jobs Project. The $200,000 grant hasbeen awarded. Notification on the success of the other applications should occurbetween now and December.

Munroe Regional Medical Center and Workforce Connection partnered on trainingprogram to transition Graduate Nurses to Registered Nurses. This is the firstgraduating class. The successful project is part of a new training grantproposal to prepare nurses for critical care areas. (Photo provided by MRMC)

Expanded Safety Net EventsJob candidates are facing very long job searches, with some coming to the end of theirunemployment benefits. This has resulted in Workforce ramping up strategies to assistcustomers with everything from childcare to healthcare to foreclosure assistance. OnSept. 2, 2009, Workforce co-sponsored an Access to Healthcare event to inform areahuman resource directors, social services counselors and other community resourcestaff on the variety of health and mental health services in Marion County. The mostrecent Marion County Job Fair was expanded to become a Job and CommunityResource Fair with over 700 attending. In Citrus County, a Community Resource Fairwas held at the Citrus Board of Realtors with over 100 attending. Marion County Board ofCounty Commissioners, CFCC and Workforce are partners with the Florida Dept. ofFinancial Services, CFO Alex Sink, in a Housing Help Event scheduled for Oct. 10 at theEwers Century Center. Workforce has negotiated a pre-paid expedited childcarecontract with the Marion County Early Learning Coalition to ensure childcare is readilyavailable to dislocated job candidates needing it to start a new career or training

program.

Watch videos on Access to Healthcare at www.youtube.com/WorkforceCLM, withresources for displaced workers and others without health insurance.

Targeted Class Size Contracts for High Growth FieldsBy purchasing full classes in high demand occupations, Workforce can better insurequicker turnaround training opportunities, targeted curriculum and opportunities of newtraining offerings in rural areas such as Levy County (where minimum class enrollmentcannot always be achieved). This fall, programs were funded in Welding, CertifiedNursing Assistant, Medical Secretary, Pharmacy Tech, NCCER Green Construction,NCCER Electrical Crafts and LEED certification. The classes are preparing jobcandidates for growing healthcare, nuclear energy and stimulus infrastructure projects.Partners include CFCC, Withlacoochee Technical Institute, Progress Energy, Shaw andarea healthcare providers.

Dave Brown, center, with the Institute of Envelope Science, DeLand, Florida,discusses the weatherization lab with students in the West Ocala Green Jobs

Project at CFCCs Hampton Center, in Ocala.

Levy County Offices ExpandedThanks to the on-going support of the Levy County School Board, Workforce was able totriple space at the Bronson Workforce Center, located at 9051 NE Highway 27 inBronson, Florida. Instead of one portable, the facility has expanded to three portables.This joint partnership has resulted in improved service delivery to residents of LevyCounty. An open house will be scheduled this fall for area residents, businesses andpartners.

Staff members of the Bronson Workforce Center, left to right, Penny Spence,Sabrina Joyner, Anita Williams, Kim Smith and Cathy Roche attended training atCFCCs Webber Center on Oct. 2, 2009. Workforce staff continually updatesworkforce skills to help job candidates expand career and education options.

http://www.youtube.com/WorkforceCLMhttp://www.youtube.com/WorkforceCLM


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3300 SW 34th Avenue, Suite 148

Ocala, Florida 34474

1 800-434-JOBS (5627)

[email protected]

Workforce Connection is an equalopportunity employer/program.Auxiliary aids and services areavailable upon request to individualswith disabilities. All voice telephonenumbers listed above may be reachedby persons using TTY/TDDequipmentvia the Florida Relay Service at 711. Ifyou need accommodations, pleasecall 352-840-5700, ext. 7878 or e-mail

[email protected] make request at least threebusiness days in advance.

INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N3

FALL 2009


www.clmworkforce.com

www.employflorida.com

Crisis builds community - continued

In addition to individual employment solutions, Workforce is working withlocal economic development partners and businesses to help withexpansions and new business attraction. In some instances, Workforce ishelping candidates find new jobs and relocate to other areas of the stateor nation.

Recover: Creating a Stronger Workforce and Nimble Businesses

Challenging times often drive positive outcomes. With a large surge in

college enrollments, education levels and wages may ultimately increasein our region. Higher skilled and educated workers can attract higherwage companies. Businesses are sharpening their spending, tighteningtheir processes and reviewing their product and market focus. Someexperienced job seekers are looking at self-employment options,potentially resulting in small business growth.

Recovery depends on a sustained community effort which focuses onboth business and individual needs. Workforce Connection has animportant role in the regions long-term recovery.

The Citrus Resource Fair on Sept. 29, 2009

in Lecanto, Florida, is one of the manyexamples how Workforce Connection hasexpanded the safety net for dislocatedworkers. Hearing impaired students fromWithlacoochee Technical Institute learnabout Citrus County health resources.

Additional newsletter copies can be

downloaded at www.clmworkforce.com.
http://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.clmworkforce.com/http://www.clmworkforce.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Stimulus Update Newsletter, October 2009

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