West Palm Beach – July 7, 2009 – Hundreds of young adults began their new jobs this week in the employment phase of Workforce Alliance’s Summer Youth Employment and Training Program. Each youth completed a three-day orientation and training session prior to reporting to a Palm Beach County employer for a work assignment and a summer job.

Kathryn Schmidt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Workforce Alliance, said “When in full operation, the summer work program will employ approximately 1,000 eligible youth and young adults aged 18 to 24 at employer sites in Palm Beach County for a six week period. The additional youths will begin working after completing our on-going orientation and work training sessions.”

She added, “The young people were very impressive during the three-day work training sessions and I am convinced that the employers will be very pleased with the initiative and willingness to work displayed by the participants.”

Belle Glade, Florida – July 6, 2009 -- Workforce Alliance, who earlier in the year awarded Glades General Hospital a $27,500 grant for workforce training, is pleased to announce that 44 nursing staff have completed the program and have been awarded advanced certifications.  The training program was designed to help the nursing staff prepare for the use of greater technology when the hospital transitions into its modern new facility, the Lakeside Medical Center, later this year.                                                     

Workforce Alliance’s Employed Worker Training Program is a funding source that is available to eligible businesses seeking to improve the skills and qualifications of their current employees.  The recent program with Glades General Hospital provided training for 21 staff members to earn Healthcare Certification Level One and for 21 additional staff to attain Level Two Certification.  Another four employees completed training to become on-staff training professionals.  As a result of the training, the participating employees increased their skills and many became eligible for higher level positions.

Kathryn Schmidt, President and Chief Executive Officer of Workforce Alliance, said “Workforce Alliance will fund the employment of approximately 1,000 eligible youth and young adults aged 18 to 24 at employer sites in Palm Beach County for a six week period beginning on July 6^th. The wages for the youth will be provided by Workforce Alliance and the work will be done for local companies and municipalities.”

West Palm Beach, April 8, 2009 -- Palm Beach County’s Workforce Summit 2009 will be hosted by Workforce Alliance at the Kravis Center on May 28 from 7:30 am to 12:00 noon. The principal speaker will be best-selling author Dan Pink, with a presentation based on his New York Times best-selling list book, “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.” 

West Palm Beach, Florida – March 17, 2009 -- As the Florida Legislature makes decisions regarding the allocation of stimulus funds resulting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Workforce Alliance is in the planning stages for maximizing the dollars it will eventually receive for the benefit of job creation, job retention and economic progress in Palm Beach County.

West Palm Beach, Florida -- Workforce Alliance awarded $546,994 in training grants to nineteen Palm Beach County employers during the past program year (July 2007 – June 2008), resulting in job-related skills improvement training for over 450 employees.

The federally funded program, entitled “Employed Worker Training,” is intended to help expand the economy of the County by helping Palm Beach County businesses provide their current employees with additional skills and opportunities for advancement rather than seeking them elsewhere.

Workplace Experts Scheduled for
Workforce Alliance Forums / Summit

West Palm Beach, Florida -- August 14, 2008 -- Workforce Alliance is sponsoring the appearance of nationally known authorities on workforce issues at a series of Palm Beach County Workforce Forums beginning on September 16 and culminating with the third annual Workforce Summit in May 2009.  Each event will address the current workforce needs of both businesses and job seekers in the County.

Kathryn Schmidt, President and Chief Executive of Workforce Alliance, said, “We are fortunate to have a progression of truly outstanding speakers at the three Forums and the Summit.  The vision, principles and ideas to be presented during this series will have an immediate impact on our workforce development planning process for the continued growth of the Palm Beach County’s economic and business interests.”

Biotech Program Overview

Workforce Alliance receives U.S. Labor Department’s Excellence Award
Honor presented at National Department of Labor Conference

West Palm Beach, Florida (July 30, 2008) – Workforce Alliance received the U.S. Department of Labor’s Recognition of Excellence Award in the category of “Educating America’s Workforce to Serve Emerging Industries.”  Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training, Brent R. Orrell, presented the annual award which honors workforce investment programs from around the country that have achieved outstanding success.

“Workforce Alliance has taken the initiative in equipping workers with the specialized skills they need to pursue careers in biotechnology,” said Orrell. “Workforce Alliance’s accomplishments are instructive for others preparing workers in biotech and other emerging fields.”

After receiving the award, Workforce Alliance President and CEO, Kathryn Schmidt, said “I offer my sincere appreciation and congratulations to the many members of the Workforce Alliance team who worked very hard to develop and implement this outstanding training program.  It has brought many benefits to the employers and job seekers of our region as well as national recognition to our organization.” 

Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santamaria and Workforce Alliance President and CEO, Kathryn Schmidt

May 19, 2008

May 2008 Declared “Workforce Development Professionals Month” in Palm Beach County

West Palm Beach, FL, May 19, 2008 -- The Palm Beach Board of County Commissioners proclaimed the month of May 2008 to be “Workforce Development Professionals Month” in Palm Beach County. County Commissioner Jess Santamaria presented the official proclamation to Workforce Alliance President and Chief Executive Officer, Kathryn Schmidt.

After receiving the proclamation, Ms. Schmidt sent a message to all 140 employees of Workforce Alliance stating: “I would like to congratulate all Workforce Alliance staff members upon receiving this recognition since it stands as a public expression of gratitude from the leadership of Palm Beach County for the dedicated services of all workforce development professionals here in Region 21 of the State of Florida.