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.

WORKFORCE ALLIANCE TO HOST PALM BEACH COUNTY’S WORKFORCE SUMMIT 2008

West Palm Beach, April 21, 2008 -- Palm Beach County’s Workforce Summit 2008 will be hosted by Workforce Alliance at the Kravis Center on May 29 from 7:45 am to 11:30 am.  It is titled “The Future of Palm Beach County Workforce Development: It’s a Journey, Not a Destination,” and will be introduced by Erik Wahl, with subsequent discussions led by futurist Ed Barlow.

West Palm Beach, Florida – (February 12, 2008) – A Virtual Job Fair for Palm Beach County businesses to recruit new employees is being held by Workforce Alliance from February 16th through February 29th and running day and night at the specially created website, http://www.alliancevirtualjobfair.com/

Workforce Alliance Concludes Three-Year Biotech Training Program

West Palm Beach, Florida (January 9, 2008) -- Workforce Alliance, the non-profit organization that manages job training programs in Palm Beach County, is closing a grant program that enabled over ninety professionals to upgrade their skills and prepare for employment in the life sciences and biotechnology-related industries over the past three years.