The Workforce
Center is your one-stop shop for human resource needs in Bay, Gulf,
and Franklin
Counties. It is our primary goal to engineer solutions for local
businesses by providing tools and resources you need to stay
competitive.
We offer free
comprehensive services that can help you find the right employee and make
it easier to manage your workforce.
Our Employer Services Include:
Recruitment
Your business can
save valuable time and money by using the Workforce Center. Regardless of
whether you need to hire one employee or 100, entry level or professional,
the Workforce Center has the staff and tools available to assist you, free
of charge.
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Reach thousands of local, state, and national job seekers free of charge
by using the
Employ Florida Marketplace,
the state’s online job matching tool.
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Quickly post your job opening by going online to
www.employflorida.com or by calling an Employer
Representative at 850-872-4340.
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Participate in annual job fair events
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Enter into specialized recruiting agreements. The Workforce Center can
design a recruiting program to meet your business’s specific needs.
Contact one of our Employer Services Representatives to find out more.
Applicant
Screening
Finding qualified
employees is important to any business. To help you find the right person
for the right job, the Workforce Center has resources available to assess
and screen job applicants.
TABE Testing
The Workforce Center
administers the TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) for employers. It is
designed to measure achievement of basic skills commonly found in adult
basic education curricula and taught in instructional programs. Reading,
language, mathematics, and spelling are the areas measured.
Florida Ready
to Work
Florida Ready to Work is a new employee credentialing program that tests –
and scores – job skills and work habits. For employers, it takes the
guesswork out of hiring, saving time and money. Florida Ready to Work is
sponsored by the state of Florida, so there is no cost for employers or
jobseekers to participate in the program. For more information
click here or contact Maria Goodwin at 850-873-3581.
Conference Room Space and Access to Business Machines
Our
professional offices offer prime space for conducting meetings and
interviewing job candidates. Call our Employer Representatives to schedule
reservations. If you need space for training of your current employees, we
have a well equipped computer training room with computer terminals for up
to 24 students with one instructor station and projection capabilities.
The
Workforce Center is focused on meeting your business needs. We have fax
machines, copy machines, phones, and video teleconferencing equipment
available onsite. We also may provide you with a private and equipped
office while you utilize our business services.
Workforce Training Programs and Incentives
The
Workforce Center is able to connect you with information on hiring
incentives and customized workforce training programs. For additional
information on these programs and incentives contact an Employer
Representative.
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Employed Worker Training (EWT)
– Local training program that supports skills upgrade training for
employed workers. Funds may be used to meet many industry or
company-specific training requirements and thereby make businesses more
competitive by providing their employees new skills that may lead to
greater productivity. New skills for employees may also result in career
advancement opportunities for the individual. For more information,
contact Joe Chavarria at 850-873-3574.
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Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
- The Work
Opportunity Tax Credit is an incentive to private, for profit employers
to hire welfare recipients and individuals from other special groups.
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Incumbent Worker Training (IWT)
- This state program is an expense reimbursement grant for customized
skills upgrade training available for existing for profit Florida
businesses. Businesses with 25 or fewer employees receive priority and,
as with the Quick Response Training Program, priority is given to
businesses in targeted industries and in distressed urban and rural
parts of Florida. This program is administered by Workforce Florida.
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Quick Response Training (QRT)-
This is a state program that provides grant funding for customized
training for new or expanding businesses that produce an exportable
product or service. Companies must be creating full-time, high-quality
jobs requiring specialized training that is not available in the local
community. Priority is given to businesses in targeted industries and in
distressed urban and rural areas of Florida. Through this
customer-driven program, Florida is able to effectively retain and
attract businesses creating new high-quality jobs. This program is
administered by Workforce Florida.
Human Resource
Assistance
The
Workforce Center offers additional tools to help human resource
professionals. Our staff can help you access current labor market
information including prevailing wage statistics, tax credits for hiring
qualified workers, information on labor law, reporting new hire
information, and hiring foreign workers.
