Sector Partnership Grant Awarded
Florida Awarded $7 Million Grant to Strengthen Health Care, Advanced Manufacturing Workforce
~ Sector Partnership National Emergency Grant to connect long-term unemployed and veterans with career opportunities ~#FLJobs
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (6/25/15) – Florida’s focus on building an increasingly competitive workforce and enabling employers in health care and advanced manufacturing to stay current with marketplace changes will benefit from a nearly $7 million federal grant to equip workers with the right skills for these growing industries. CareerSource Florida and the Department of Economic Opportunity will use the two-year grant to assess current and future needs of employers in health care and advanced manufacturing. Participating members of the CareerSource Florida network, which includes 24 regional workforce boards and nearly 100 career centers statewide, will assist unemployed Floridians and existing employees with training for these in-demand occupations.
“The Sector Partnership Grant will help provide training and resources to move Floridians seeking employment into well-paying careers with a promising future in the growing industries of health care and advanced manufacturing,” said Chris Hart IV, President and CEO of CareerSource Florida. “These funds also will strengthen our collective and ongoing efforts to harness the market intelligence critical to meeting business needs and establishing Florida as a global leader for talent.”
Collaboration among CareerSource Florida, the Department of Economic Opportunity, regional workforce boards and leaders in industry, education and economic development is integral to the project’s success.
“Florida’s economy has seen a remarkable turnaround in the past four years, adding almost 880,000 private-sector jobs,” said Jesse Panuccio, Executive Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity. “This grant will allow us to provide employment training to more than 1,000 Floridians, with a focus on veterans, who are interested in two of the top industries in this state – health care and advanced manufacturing.”
Sector strategies are industry-led approaches to workforce and economic development that align training to meet employer needs in regional labor markets. The project supported through the Sector Partnership Grant builds on the sector strategy approach established by CareerSource Florida last year to ensure Florida’s workforce development system is responsive to the talent needs of businesses. CareerSource Florida’s approach included the formation this spring of two statewide business groups – the Florida Advanced Manufacturing Leadership Council and the Florida Healthcare Workforce Leadership Council – to collect critical business intelligence and develop workforce strategies and policies that align with the new federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for their respective industries.
Florida was among 27 states receiving the federal grant to strengthen and expand innovative job training and reemployment strategies for laid-off workers. Florida received one of the highest grant amounts awarded. Additional information is available on the U.S. Department of Labor website.
About CareerSource Florida
CareerSource Florida is the statewide workforce policy and investment board of business and government leaders charged with overseeing the CareerSource Florida network, which includes the Department of Economic Opportunity, 24 regional workforce boards and nearly 100 career centers. The CareerSource Florida network connects employers with qualified, skilled talent and Floridians with employment and career development opportunities to achieve economic prosperity. Learn more at careersourceflorida.com or 1-866-352-2345.
View Press Release here: http://careersourceflorida.com/newsroom/sector-partnership-grant-awarded/