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 assistance from companies that were experiencing layoffs. These do not represent all the layoffs that occurred. Those ranged from very small layoffs to 279 employees laid off at Merillat. In spring of 2009, it appeared that things might be turning around. During March 2009 and April 2009, unemployment inched downward. Then on August 5, Workforce and its partners were devastated 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 Central Florida Community College staff met to plan an outplacement services event which served 600 people on Friday, August 7. In less than two days, partners, businesses and community volunteers pulled together to plan an all day outplacement event. Former Taylor Bean employees attended a getting started orientation, met with community resource organizations, registered for unemployment, learned how to use EmployFla.com, and prepared for the Job Fair scheduled for the following Tuesday. The community came forward to offer support, lunch, job openings and other resources. The Chamber of Commerce reminded businesses to hire local.

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

By the following Thursday, State Representative Kurt Kelly convened national, state and local leaders to discuss an overall response to the rising unemployment. Workforce laid out many of the strategies described in detail in the inside of this newsletter. The current situation called for a multi-pronged effort that involved the Ocala/Marion County Economic Development Corporation (EDC), Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce, CFCC, local governments, businesses, social service organizations and elected officials.

Retrain: A Primary Focus for Stimulus Funds

With jobs declining; a key focus for Workforce staff and funding is assisting job candidates in retraining for growth fields. Staff has been assisting individuals with the completion of scholarship applications and counseling these 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 recent Career Launch series to center-based classes to more one-on-one career coaching, many need help beyond on-line, self-service tools such as www.EmployFla.com .

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STIMULUS UPDATE ! OCTOBER 2009

Workforce Connection - Region 10

American Recovery and Reinvestment

(Continued on back page)

Workforce Online

Workforce Connection has enrolled 1,665 individuals in training for $1.1 million and projects to award another $1.8 million by December 2009.

Performance SnapshotRegion 10 – Citrus, Levy and Marion Counties

Training Projections

763

10

115100

Training Participants

Classroom TrainingOn-the-Job TrainingCustomized TrainingEmployed Worker

August 2009 - Total 988

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

Projects at a Glance

DCF Call Center Brings 75 JobsAs a result of large scale layoffs, calls have increased considerably around the state for unemployment compensation, food stamps and public assistance. The increased phone traffic 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. of Children and Families (DCF) Administrator Bill D'Aiuto and DCF Deputy Director Don Winstead set out to see how our region could be considered. With the large number of trained call center workers available in Marion County, the area was very attractive as a location. The Marion County EDC was instrumental in quickly finding a suitable location. Workforce staff identified eligible job candidates for DCF and scheduled interviews for 124 people in just a few short weeks. Candidates had to be low-income, have a child under 18 in the household, and have the required call center experience. The final selection of employees will occur by October 9th with the call center opening no later than November 1. From initial discussion to the DCF Call Center opening, these 75 new jobs were established in Ocala in just 45 days.

Job candidate Tonija Parker, right, of Ocala, interviews for a DCF call center opening 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 researching how this untapped pool of Federal Stimulus Funds could be used to help out with the area's widespread unemployment. The funds, which have never been utilized in Florida for employment projects, provide 80 cents for every 20 cents contributed from a local partner. The funding must be used to hire job candidates within 200 percent of the poverty level and have a child under the age of 18 in the household. Workforce is working with local govermental agenices to increase local subsiidized jobs.

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

Workforce & Staffing Industry = Jobs When companies are unsure if their growth is going to be constant, they tap the staffing industry as a safe way to expand their workforce. By using the staffing industry they are able 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 area’s staffing firms to strategically determine ways to partner that will assist both the businesses and the job seekers. One such solution is promoting on-the-job training through staffing firms for temp-to-hire positions.

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

Former Taylor, Bean and Whitaker employees attend a resource event for laid off workers 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 personalized attention 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 and scholarship applications. Because of this need, Workforce has restructured their four center schedules to incorporate a mix of walk-in full-service, self-service, and appointments only in order to schedule more one-on-one sessions for dislocated workers. For details on the newly structured hours, go to www.clmworkforce.com .

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

STIMULUS UPDATE ! OCTOBER 2009

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

Projects at a Glance

Over $5 Million in Retraining Grants WrittenWhile Workforce has been very aggressive in retraining the area’s dislocated workers, the need is great. Our local Workforce Investment Act and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are currently 49 percent obligated and it is only September. It is anticipated 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 as healthcare, corrections and green jobs.

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

Munroe Regional Medical Center and Workforce Connection partnered on training program 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 their unemployment benefits. This has resulted in Workforce ramping up strategies to assist customers with everything from childcare to healthcare to foreclosure assistance. On Sept. 2, 2009, Workforce co-sponsored an Access to Healthcare event to inform area human resource directors, social services counselors and other community resource staff on the variety of health and mental health services in Marion County. The most recent Marion County Job Fair was expanded to become a Job and Community Resource Fair with over 700 attending. In Citrus County, a Community Resource Fair was held at the Citrus Board of Realtors with over 100 attending. Marion County Board of County Commissioners, CFCC and Workforce are partners with the Florida Dept. of Financial Services, CFO Alex Sink, in a Housing Help Event scheduled for Oct. 10 at the Ewers Century Center. Workforce has negotiated a pre-paid expedited childcare contract with the Marion County Early Learning Coalition to ensure childcare is readily available 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, with resources 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 insure quicker turnaround training opportunities, targeted curriculum and opportunities of new training offerings in rural areas such as Levy County (where minimum class enrollment cannot always be achieved). This fall, programs were funded in Welding, Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Secretary, Pharmacy Tech, NCCER Green Construction, NCCER Electrical Crafts and LEED certification. The classes are preparing job candidates for growing healthcare, nuclear energy and stimulus infrastructure projects. Partners include CFCC, Withlacoochee Technical Institute, Progress Energy, Shaw and area 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 CFCC’s Hampton Center, in Ocala.

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

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

STIMULUS UPDATE ! OCTOBER 2009

3300 SW 34th Avenue, Suite 148

Ocala, Florida 34474

1 800-434-JOBS (5627)

contactus@clmworkforce.com

Workforce Connection is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers listed above may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711. If you need accommodations, please call 352-840-5700, ext. 7878 or e-mail accommodations@clmworkforce.com. Please make request at least three business days in advance.

INVESTOR NEWSLETTER ISSUE N°3! FALL 2009

STIMULUS UPDATE ! OCTOBER 2009

www.clmworkforce.com

www.employflorida.com

Crisis builds community - continued

In addition to individual employment solutions, Workforce is working with local economic development partners and businesses to help with expansions and new business attraction. In some instances, Workforce is helping candidates find new jobs and relocate to other areas of the state or 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 increase in our region. Higher skilled and educated workers can attract higher wage companies. Businesses are sharpening their spending, tightening their processes and reviewing their product and market focus. Some experienced job seekers are looking at self-employment options, potentially resulting in small business growth.

Recovery depends on a sustained community effort which focuses on both business and individual needs. Workforce Connection has an important role in the region’s long-term recovery.

The Citrus Resource Fair on Sept. 29, 2009 in Lecanto, Florida, is one of the many examples how Workforce Connection has expanded the “safety net” for dislocated workers. Hearing impaired students from Withlacoochee Technical Institute learn about Citrus County health resources.

Additional newsletter copies can be

downloaded at www.clmworkforce.com .