February 2014

Chairman’sReport
Leading the Way to a Stronger Workforce
Employment Statistics
Pinellas county
December 2013
February 2014
State of the Workforce Recap P.1
Unemployment Rates (%)
2014 Career Fair Schedule P.2
(Not Seasonally Adjusted)
Assisting Professionals in Transition P.2
DEC 13
NOV 13
DEC 12
WNP
5.7
6.1
7.7
Focus on 2014 P.2
FLORIDA
5.9
6.3
7.8
CareerSource Pinellas Update P.2
US TOTAL
6.5
6.6
7.6
Average Annual Wage
2012
2011
WNP
$43,958
$42,388
FLORIDA
$43,210
$42,312
•
The unemployment rate in the WorkNet Pinellas region (Pinellas County) was 5.7 percent in December 2013, the lowest since May 2008 when it was 5.6 percent. The region’s jobless rate was down 2.0 percentage points from 7.7 percent a year ago and was 0.2 percentage point lower than the state’s rate of 5.9 percent. Out of a labor force of 446,247, there were 25,573 unemployed residents in the region last month.
•
Hillsborough and Pinellas counties shared the lowest unemployment rate in the four-county Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area in December (5.7 percent). The jobless rates in the other counties in the metro area were 6.7 percent in Pasco and 7.4 percent in Hernando.
•
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater led all metro areas in Florida in over-the-year gains in total nonagricultural jobs in December 2013. It also led the other metro areas in over-the-year employment
growth in mining, logging, and construction; financial activities; professional and business services; and education and health
services.
Source: Florida Department of Economic
Opportunity, Labor Market Statistics Center
(January 24, 2014)
Employer Panel L to R: John A. (Jack) Kolosky, President of the Hospital Corporation, Executive Vice
President/Chief Operating Officer, Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute; Paul Anderson, President, The
Tampa Port Authority; Dr. Judy Genshaft, President, University of South Florida; Bob Dutkowsky, CEO, Tech
Data; and Tony DiBenedetto, Chairman and CEO, Tribridge.
C
onnecting Business & Education
State of the Workforce
On January 14th, Bay area employers and business
professionals were invited to participate in Tampa
Bay WorkForce Alliance and WorkNet Pinellas’ ‘State
of the Workforce Tampa Bay’ event. This two-panel
discussion revolved around the current and future
Tampa Bay workforce and its needs.
The first panel consisted of prominent business
leaders in industries such as IT, medical research,
higher education, and more. These leaders spoke
about the challenge of finding high-tech skilled
workers, the necessity of internship/apprenticeship/
co-op programs and the benefits of a major marketing
campaign for the Tampa area as it relates to highwage jobs that are not being filled.
The second panel was comprised of representatives
from Hillsborough County Public Schools, Pinellas
County Public Schools, Hillsborough County
Community College, and St. Petersburg College.
These educational institutions have been working
hard to inspire interest in the growing STEM
technologies at the K-12 level, and bridging the gap
between area businesses and university programs.
Education Panel L to R: David Barnes,
Executive Director, Office of Career, Technical
& Adult Education, Pinellas County Schools;
Dr. Scott Brooks, General Director, Career,
Technical and Adult Education, Hillsborough
County Public Schools; Dr. Ginger Clark, Ph.D.,
VP, Workforce Development, Hillsborough
Community College; and Dr. William Law, Jr.,
President, St. Petersburg College.
Between the two-panel discussions, our Employ1
Tampa Bay partner, Feeding Children Everywhere,
orchestrated a fun team building activity where
attendees helped pack meals for hungry Bay area
children. One hundred meals are given out to hungry
children for every new hire name submitted to the
Employ1 Tampa Bay website. For more information,
please visit: www.employ1tampabay.com.
The event was well-received from attendees who
inquired hopefully that it might become a bi-annual or
annual staple, much like the Business and Education
Summit.
Feeding Children Everywhere team building
activity.
Upcoming Events
& Meetings
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February 5, 11:00 aM
Executive Committee EpiCenter
February 14, 9:00 aM
Youth Economic Opportunity Committee EpiCenter
February 19, 9:00 AM
Business & Economic Development Committee EpiCenter
February 19, 5:00 pM
Professional Mixer Ruth Eckerd Hall
February 25, 9:00 AM
One-Stop Consortium EpiCenter
February 28, 9:00 AM
Finance Committee EpiCenter
13805 58th Street N., Suite 2-140 N, Clearwater, FL 33760
(727) 524-4344 • www.worknetpinellas.org
WorkNet Assists Professionals in Transition
The Professional Division of WorkNet Pinellas,
which includes the Pinellas Professional
Network (PPN), the Transitioning Executive
Network (TEN), and Job Clubs, assists
professionals with their job search needs.
During the 2nd quarter of the 2013-2014
fiscal year over 1,240 professionals attended
WorkNet’s professional networking groups. PPN offers professionals a forum where they
can network with their peers, learn from a variety
of knowledgeable guest speakers, and interact
with recruiters from various major Tampa Bay
companies.
TEN is a program designed for Executives at the
Director and C-Level. The mission is to provide
executives with career transition assistance
by marketing their skills and experience to the
Tampa Bay business community. TEN offers a
forum where executives can network with other
local senior level talent and national executive
guest speakers.
Job Clubs enable members to expand their
network but it also provides them with mutual
support and encouragement. Locations, meeting
dates, and times are chosen by the members.
Currently there are 5 job club locations each
with a Lead Facilitator.
For more information on attending PPN,
TEN, or Job Clubs meeting please visit
www.worknetpinellas.org.
2014 WorkNet Wednesday Career Fair Schedule
Date
Location
Type
February 19
Ruth Eckerd Hall
Professional Mixer April 9
Bright House Field
Open to the General
August 20
EpiCenter
Open to the General
October 8
EpiCenter
Veterans
*Invitation Only
If you are an employer interested in participating in a career fair please contact
Dominique Van Kirk at (727) 608-2529 or dvankirk@worknetpinellas.org.
February: TBD
Business Seminar Series: Internships to Pay or Not to Pay
EpiCenter
On January 21st, Ed Peachey, President & CEO of WorkNet
Focus on 2014: A Tampa Bay Economic Forecast
CareerSource
Pinellas
Beginning
February
10th WorkNet
Pinellas will be
transitioning to
CareerSource Pinellas. The statewide
re-branding effort will affect our name,
logo, signage at our centers, employee
e-mail addresses and our website. Our
new website will become www.careersourcepinellas.com.
Additionally, employee e-mail handles
will go from @worknetpinellas.org to @careersourcepinellas.com. So,be sure
to update your contact’s information.
Pinellas and Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance, participated
in Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce’s Focus on
2014: A Tampa Bay Economic Forecast panel. Close
to 200 Chamber members took part in the annual event
which features industry leaders offering predictions about
their respective industries for the year ahead. Panelists
also included Philip Porter, Professor of Economics at
University of South Florida; Carl Patten, Director of Health
Care Policy at Florida Blue; and Alex Glenn, President of
Duke Energy Florida. Mr. Peachey shared current statistics
on the region’s workforce and emphasized the importance
L to R: Panelists Philip K. Porter from USF,
employers not leaving the task of training tomorrow’s
Ed Peachey of WorkNet Pinellas/Tampa
workforce to colleges and universities.
Bay Workforce Alliance, Carl Patten of
Florida Blue and Alex Glenn, President
“We need the employer community to step up and help train of Duke Energy Florida with Chamber
that next generation of workers,” he said. “We have to create Chairman of the Board Dr. Jim Rivenbark
more opportunities for internships and apprenticeships if of Diagnostic Clinic.
we’re going to build a workforce here in Tampa Bay.”
To read more about the Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce’s Focus on 2014: A Tampa
Bay Economic Forecast event visit http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/largo_leader/content_
articles/012214_lle-01 .txt.
WorkNet Pinellas is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice
telephone numbers listed may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711. Member of Employ Florida Marketplace.