Located in:
- II. Strategic Elements
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include a Strategic Planning Elements section that analyzes the State’s current economic environment and identifies the State’s overall vision for its workforce development system. The required elements in this section allow the State to develop data-driven goals for preparing an educated and skilled workforce and to identify successful strategies for aligning workforce development programs. Unless otherwise noted, all Strategic Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs.
- a. Economic, Workforce, and Workforce Development Activities Analysis
The Unified or Combined State Plan must include an analysis of the economic conditions, economic development strategies, and labor market in which the State’s workforce system and programs will operate.
- 2. Workforce Development, Education and Training Activities AnalysisThe Unified or Combined State Plan must include an analysis of the workforce development activities, including education and training in the State, to address the education and skill needs of the workforce, as identified in Education and Skill Levels of the Workforce above, and the employment needs of employers, as identified in Employers' Employment Needs above. This must include an analysis of –
- 2. Workforce Development, Education and Training Activities Analysis
- a. Economic, Workforce, and Workforce Development Activities Analysis
II. a. 2. B. The Strengths and Weaknesses of Workforce Development Activities
Current Narrative:
The strength of Florida’s workforce network is that partners are successful in serving customers and putting Floridians to work. Each of the WIOA core program partners perform successfully, indicating that these partnerships can be leveraged at the state and local levels to enhance any areas of weakness that emerge. Additionally, the strength of Florida’s workforce network is demonstrated by the relationships already formed and the opportunities already identified for coordinated service delivery, as the implementation of WIOA continues.
As previously noted, Florida enacted major workforce legislation in 2000 in response to the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Florida Workforce Innovation Act of 2000 consolidated the state’s primary workforce programs including WIA, Wagner-Peyser and the Unemployment Compensation Program (now known as Florida’s Reemployment Assistance Program). Other workforce programs addressed by this landmark legislation included The Trade Assistance Act and the work components of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Food Stamp Program (now known as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). All of these workforce programs were integrated under the umbrella of one state agency with services delivered through the state’s 24 regional workforce boards and their network of one-stop centers. The strength of Florida’s workforce system lies in this innovation, which prepared the state early on for WIOA implementation that includes WP services, adult and dislocated worker services, youth services, trade, and TANF and SNAP work components.
Florida’s WIOA partners have ample statewide coverage for all programs, with skilled and experienced professional team members. The state workforce board, LWDBs, VR, and Division of Blind Services (FDBS) all have established business relationship teams working together to serve employers. Florida’s current challenge is that it must work to address accessibility of job network computer systems, outreach and community visibility for programs that serve job seekers with disabilities, and transportation for job seekers with disabilities. However, additional improvements are taking place in Florida’s workforce network, including a Residential Center training program within the FDBS in place by early 2016 and increased utilization of Florida’s Integrated Career and Academic Preparation System.
As is demonstrated in section 2(A) above, Florida’s workforce network partners are successful in serving customers and putting Floridians to work. Each of the WIOA core program partners performs successfully, indicating that these partnerships can be leveraged at the state and local levels to enhance any areas of weakness that emerge. The strength of Florida’s workforce network is demonstrated by the relationships already formed and the opportunities already identified for coordinated service delivery, as the implementation of WIOA continues. Currently, Florida’s WIOA partners have ample statewide coverage for all programs, with skilled and experienced professional team members. The state workforce board, LWDBs, VR, and Division of Blind Services (FDBS) all have established business relationship teams working together to serve employers. Additional improvements are taking place in Florida’s workforce network, including a Residential Center training program within the FDBS in place by early 2016 and increased utilization of Florida’s Integrated Career and Academic Preparation System.
Continuous improvement of how Florida’s workforce network serves customers will require continued collaboration, coordination, and re-assessment. The identification of both strengths and weaknesses is an ongoing process for the core programs working to implement WIOA. Working groups discussed in section III(b)(7) have begun to address data integration issues as a potential challenge for WIOA implementation. There is a need to review all WIOA program services, programs, and policies to identify duplicative efforts and potential solutions to better align agency resources and efforts. Also, Florida must work to address accessibility of job network computer systems, outreach and community visibility for programs that serve job seekers with disabilities, and transportation for job seekers with disabilities.