Director's Message

The Agency for Workforce Innovation continues to work diligently for Florida’s more than 9.2 million labor force participants. Our workforce system is poised to further align Florida's education, training and workforce programs with higher-paying, high-demand jobs that advance careers, build a more skilled workforce and enhance the state's efforts to attract, grow and expand job-creating businesses.

Despite recent slowdowns in job growth, our workforce system is adapting to new technologies and new skills, while developing increased competitiveness. In fact, the Agency for Workforce Innovation is vigorously working with our business, economic development, education and workforce partners to create programs that ensure that workers and students have the educational and occupational skills required to succeed in the workforce.

Through programs like the Florida Career and Professional Academies, Ready to Work and Florida reBuilds we are making a difference. The Florida Career and Professional Academies is being designed to ensure that more students graduate from Florida high schools with both a high school diploma and an industry-recognized certification which allow them to either continue their education or to go directly into the workforce. By the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, each school district must have in operation at least one career academy.

The Florida Ready to Work program is providing students and job seekers with skill assessments to identify jobs that they are capable of performing based on employer specific skill requirements. The program also offers remediation training to individuals who do not have identified employment skills. Regional Workforce Boards across Florida have established Ready to Work Assessment sites at many of the One-Stop Career Centers to conveniently provide skill assessment and remediation services to students and job seekers.

Additionally, Florida reBuilds is training workers in construction jobs throughout the state. Florida reBuilds, which has currently enrolled over 12,000 individuals, was initially created to help the state recover from two devastating hurricane seasons, but has continued to provide training to help address Florida’s longer-term construction workforce needs. Even with recent economic declines in some areas of construction, the long-term demand for skilled workers remains strong. The success of Florida reBuilds demonstrates the ability of the state’s workforce system to quickly fill “labor gaps” in response to natural disasters or economic downturns.

As we move forward, we remain committed to looking for ways to bolster our workforce and address the workforce needs of our labor force and Florida’s most vital industries.

Sincerely,

Monesia T. Brown

Director, Agency for Workforce Innovation