PRESIDENT / CEO SPOTLIGHT

Dear Colleagues:

We are extremely pleased that the recent infusion of approximately $10 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, popularly known as stimulus funds, has allowed us to expand our services to businesses in Palm Beach County to a significant degree.

The stimulus funds bring an unprecedented opportunity for local employers through increased job training grants, hiring incentives and other human resource services. My recommendation to businesses at this time is to analyze your current and anticipated needs for employee hiring, retention and training, and look into possible opportunities for grants or funding from Workforce Alliance.

Some of the resources and programs expanded by stimulus funding include:

• Grants for the training of existing employees;
• Hiring incentives / tax credits;
• Recruitment and hiring assistance;
• Access to professional and executive-level job candidates;
• Screening of professional, mid-level and entry-level job seekers;
• local job postings;
• outplacement services; and
• localized labor market and employment information.

For more information, please call us and talk to one of our Business Services Account Managers (561-340-1060) for full details.

TRAINING PROGRAM RESULTS IN CNA CERTIFICATION FOR THIRTEEN

A Workforce Alliance training program can often provide a certification or other professional qualification that can help an unemployed person return to the workforce.

Such was the case during the past month when thirteen persons completed a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) course that resulted in certification as a CNA. Each of the attendees had been referred to Workforce Alliance by the Department of Children and Families and needed assistance in finding employment to support their families.

All thirteen passed the State of Florida certification test after completing the CNA course at the Academy for Practical Nursing and Health Occupations in West Palm Beach, funded by Workforce Alliance.

Alberto Banos is one of the “Success Stories” of the Workforce Alliance-funded training course for certification as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant. He is now employed at the Health Care District of Palm Beach County‘s Edward J. Healey Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in West Palm Beach.

The health care field is one of the high demand career fields on the “Targeted Occupations List” for Palm Beach County which is maintained by Workforce Alliance.

Palm Beach County job seekers can apply for training scholarships or grants in order to acquire marketable job skills in a high-demand career field. Application may be made by visiting one of the three Career Centers. Training is provided by area colleges and training institutions. A listing of approved training providers and training programs/courses offered in Palm Beach County are listed on the Workforce Alliance web site and can be reached through this link.

PALM BEACH COUNTY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE UP SLIGHTLY FOR MONTH OF JULY

The unemployment rate for Palm Beach County for the month of July 2009 was 11.3 percent, up .1 percentage points from the 11.2 percent unemployment in June 2009; and up from the year-ago rate in July 2008 of 7.2 percent. The July 2009 rate for Palm Beach County is .3 percent higher than the State of Florida’s rate of 11.0 percent for the month and also exceeds the national rate of 9.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted.

The current unemployment rate for the County is the highest recorded since August 1992 when it was 12.6 percent. Jobs with the highest growth in Palm Beach County during the past year were in the fields of education, health services and government. The jobs with the highest current demand are in the fields of health care, information technology, financial services and hospitality.

Job losses during the past year were spread across most other major industry groups, with the greatest decline in the construction industry, retail trade, and professional and business services. For complete details on employment data by industry group and other labor market information, please visit our website, or click here for an updated overview of the employment situation by industry sector in Palm Beach County.

LINKS TO EMPLOYER SERVICES

• Services to Businesses
• Post New Positions
• Tax Credits & Training Incentives
• Professional Placement Network
• Featured Events
• Recruitment Services
• Hiring Veterans
• Links to Partners

Central Career Center
1951 North Military Trail, Suite D
West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Telephone (561) 340-1060

West Career Center
1085 South Main Street
Belle Glade, FL 33430
Telephone (561) 829-2040

South Career Center
901 N Congress Ave #C-201
Boynton Beach, FL 33426
Telephone (561) 853-0181

SAVE THE DATES
JANUARY 27 and MAY 7, 2010

Mark your calendar to be at the Kravis Center on the mornings of January 27 and May 7, 2010, for two great presentations in the continuing series of topical workforce-related Forums and Seminars presented by Workforce Alliance.

January 27 – WORKFORCE FORUM The keynote speaker will be Marianne M. Jennings, author of many business leadership books, including “Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse: How to Spot Moral Meltdowns in Companies Before It’s Too Late.”

May 7 – WORKFORCE SUMMIT Featuring Geoffrey Colvin, a leading thinker, writer, broadcaster and speaker on today’s most important workforce and business trends. He is a Senior Editor at Large for FORTUNE Magazine and author of two significant bestselling books: Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-class Performance from Everybody Else (2008); and The Upside of the Downturn: Ten Management Strategies to Prevail in the Recession and Thrive in the Aftermath (2009).

Breakfast will be included with your event registration. Watch future editions of WORKFORCE REPORT for information on registration procedures and reserving your place.

WORKFORCE ALLIANCE PLACES
1,010 YOUNG ADULTS IN SUMMER JOBS

Approximately $3 million of the Workforce Alliance stimulus funds were committed to Workforce Alliance’s 2009 Summer Youth Employment and Training Program (SYETP). A total of 1,010 young adults, aged 18 to 24, received workplace training and were then placed in summer jobs at various work sites in the County.

Under the program, over three hundred local employers were able to hire temporary summer workers for a six-week period while Workforce Alliance paid the wages and workers’ compensation costs.

The employers provided the worksites and supervision of the participants in meaningful and productive employment situations. By so doing, each employer made a major contribution to the eventual economic recovery of Palm Beach County and an improvement in the quality of our local workforce of the future.

Participating employers and youth have shared these comments:

	Summer Youth Employment and Training Program participant, Andrew Cesar, was employed by FastSIGNS of North Palm Beach, and is shown here with owner Lisa Bondurant.
FASTSIGNS of North Palm Beach employed participant Andrew Cesar at its Northlake Blvd. facility and owner, Lisa Bondurant said, “He is an interested and quick learner, and is also extremely appreciative of any training and assistance he is provided.” The company has rotated him from the production side to the graphics department for a full learning experience with the business. One of the projects he completed was a sign to be used by Workforce Alliance as it places its mobile resource units in community outreach locations.

	Summer Youth Employment and Training Program participant, Glendia McEwan, was employed by The Sancilio Company, and is shown here with co-owner, Alex Sancilio. The Sancilio Company employed six youths from the program.
Sancilio and Company, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, filled five positions in production and three in administration at their two Palm Beach County facilities. Owner, Alex Sancilio, explained, “We began by having each participant fill out an application and then go through an interview process. We then put them through proper training before placing them in what we determined to be the right work position for each individual. They now work right alongside scientists and are part of our team.”

	Summer program participant, Sasha Harvey (left), finishes a project and hands the completed work to Enid Atwater of Venue Marketing
Venue Marketing Group employed two summer employees and assigned them to a variety of tasks. Office manager and supervisor, Teca Sullivan, expressed extreme satisfaction with the work attitude and accomplishments of both Tony Mitchell, who learned many of the skills required in their in-house press room, and Sasha Harvey, who did specialty work projects in the marketing and public relations area.

	Nicole Harris (left) was assigned a summer job at the Workforce Alliance Central Career Center. She welcomes customers as they sign in under the watchful eye of staff member, Martha Pupo (center).

	The summer job for Summer Youth Program participant, Jaquita Barnes, was packing and shipping of mangos and other products to Erickson Farm’s worldwide customers.
Erickson Farm in Canal Point employed two of the summer youth and Krista Erickson, operations manager of the 60-acre farm, gave high praise to the program: “All potential employers want people with experience. Now, both of our participants have solid workplace experience and will have a reference to place on their resumes when seeking future employment. One of the participants is an office assistant and the second youth helps in the process of packing crates of fruits for shipping to customers all over the world.”

	Summer Youth Employment and Training Program participant, Shanique Jarrett, was employed as an administrative assistant by the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County.
The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County employed Shanique Jarret, 19, of West Palm Beach, and assigned her to projects that employ her considerable skills in computer literacy. Ms. Jarret said she is impressed by the professional atmosphere of the office, and plans to attend Palm Beach Community College at the end of the summer program. “I plan to take courses leading to a teaching position, and then continue to study something related to law.”

		Summer Youth Employment and Training Program participant, Tiffany Clark (center), was employed by Street Beat, Inc. of South Bay, and helped teach pre-schoolers enrolled in the Street Beat program.
		Four Summer Youth Employment and Training Program participants were employed at the Riviera Beach Marina. Dockmaster David Napier is instructing the group in safety measures at the marina.

Taylor Productions of Lake Worth and the City of West Palm Beach Northwood Youth Empowerment Center accepted four of the youth participants for summer employment. Company President, Dwayne Taylor, said, “They are learning video production techniques and are involved in producing a documentary on their own program, the Workforce Alliance summer employment program.” Upon completion, the documentary will be placed on the Workforce Alliance web site.

Workforce Alliance Youth Career Counselor Charles Duval conducts work readiness training during orientation class for the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program.