Recognizing Florida’s workforce professionals

I often say I have the best job in the world. I get to work with innovators all over the state who change lives every day. And in fact, these people tell me they have the best job.

Members of the CareerSource Florida network help Floridians who want to begin or advance their careers, first by brushing up their resumes and interview skills and then connecting them with job opportunities. They help employers recruit, train and retain the talent businesses need to stay competitive. Each unique success story brings life-changing impact to workers and businesses. More broadly, each one also contributes toward the stability and prosperity of their regional economies.

Workforce development affects everyone. Pausing to consider the ripple effect that elevating workforce skills can have within a community truly reinforces the magnitude of our purpose.

We are carrying this sense of purpose into our annual Workforce Professional Development Summit, happening this week in Orlando. This annual event provides valuable training for the professionals from CareerSource Florida's 24 local workforce development board partners and the nearly 100 career centers they direct.

Each year, a highlight of our summit is the annual awards ceremony, when we recognize the workforce professionals who stand out for the excellence with which they carry out our life-changing, community-building mission. Congratulations to everyone who was recognized today, including the Workforce Professional Development Champion Award nominees and these recipients:

·      Goodwill Emissary: Kevin Harrison, CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion

·      Leadership Ambassador:  Mary Taylor, CareerSource Research Coast

·      Service Innovator: Sheng Wood, CareerSource North Central Florida

·      Workforce Advocate: Katherine Broughton, CareerSource Southwest Florida

Families and communities prosper when we have access to good jobs and fulfilling careers. We are proud to have assisted more than 136,000 job seekers reported to have secured employment and 55,000 businesses last year, and are reinvigorated for another year of forming community-changing connections between talent and businesses.