School Bell Rings for Workers, Too

Kids aren’t the only ones heading back for another year of schooling. As the bell rings this year, companies, too, are sending their employees to class to acquire new technical skills, obtain industry certifications and simply to make the business more competitive. These workforce training programs have become a key economic-boosting tool in places like Orlando, which has been recognized for everything from being the nation’s hottest job market to a best city for business. In addition, Orlando is one of the top workforce training-producing regions in the State of Florida … and Florida has just been ranked by Expansion Management Magazine as one of the top three states in the nation with the best workforce training programs.

In fiscal year June 2006-June 2007, 134 companies in Metro Orlando received $1.8 million in state workforce training dollars, which trained more than 3,800. Companies awarded these training dollars include Electronic Arts Tiburon Studios, UPS, Staples, CuraScript and local tech companies, among others. The recognized state programs through which they were able to train their employees are: the Quick Response Training (QRT), Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) and Employed Worker Training (EWT) grants – all of which are often tapped by relocating and expanding companies. Thanks to these programs, hundreds of companies in Florida are able to provide customized training and enhance the skills of their employees each year, often resulting in higher wages for workers and increased profitability for the company. Each program requires a match investment from the businesses for their employees’ training.

Since 2000, these three programs, combined, have awarded $85 million to train more than 158,000 workers in the state. In addition, according to Debbie McMillan, program manager of QRT for Workforce Florida, Inc., these programs are somewhat unique in that they are customized, flexible workforce development programs and the company gets to select the training and provider – both of which are things that a lot of other states don’t offer.

At Metro Orlando-based .decimal (the world’s sole manufacturer of custom, solid filters used in cancer radiation therapy), for example, the company wanted to train 10 employees in a variety of manufacturing and operational training programs including Six Sigma, ISO, and Lean Manufacturing that would cost the company nearly $50,000. In addition, they had limited time and no onsite training facilities to provide for minimal disruption to their everyday business operations. The company was awarded a $24,250 EWT grant in April to cover 50% of the workforce training costs. The award was given by Workforce Central Florida, a regional workforce board that connects employers to talent and provides worker resources and training. WCF also provided .decimal with its WORKFORCE MOBILE EXPRESS portable training facility. The training took place right outside the company’s manufacturing plant.

For more:
www.workforceflorida.com
www.workforcecentralflorida.com
www.dotdecimal.com
www.orlandoedc.com