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‘Crown’ing achievement
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| Doris Hall (right), career manager, advises Jamila Simmons on the various steps to be a marketable employee at Florida Crown Workforce. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
Florida Crown Workforce brings employers, employees together.
By JEFF M. HARDISON
jhardison@lakecityreporter.com
A free service provided by the state government helps employers and job-seekers find each other in Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist and Union counties.
Florida Crown Workforce covers one of the 24 one-stop regions in Florida, Project Manager Lynn Hamilton said. The one-stop concept began in 2000 as the state chose to place as many shared services in one location as possible, she said.
The Lake City office is at 1389 U.S. Highway 90 West. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Resource Room, which has computers for job applicants to search for employment, is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
One of the greatest challenges within this four-county region, Hamilton said, is to overcome the distance between employers and prospective employees. Florida Crown is committed to raising awareness for the need for mass transportation, she added.
Employer services
The Employers’ Services team assists employers in posting job openings, screening applicants, providing skills assessment, conducting career fairs and other business services. Wagner-Peyser Program Manager Linda Fu leads this team.
Conference rooms and offices are available for employer use. Job postings within the http://www.employflorida.com system assure a diverse hiring pool both statewide and nationally for employers to access.
Florida Crown accepted 6,800 applications for the recent 180 individuals hired at the Target Distribution Center.
Employee services
Jobseekers can use the Resource Room for job searches, resume development and one-on-one career guidance. It is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m. each weekday in the Lake City office.
Another service is known as Job Club.
Job Club classes provide skills training, such as “Dressing for Success,” resume development, mock interviews and the like.
The volume of help provided to people is extraordinary. The daily average of visitors is 85 to 100 customers.
Last year, more than 700 individuals gained employment through these services.
Special help
Needy people receive additional services.
Individuals who meet eligibility requirements of the Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program (TANF) use the One-Stop Workforce.
Other people qualify for special help through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which assists adults, dislocated workers and both in- and out-of-school youths.
Veterans are served through the ENABLE
Project and Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program. Navigator services are available to individuals with disabilities. Senior workers are assisted through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).
Florida Crown Workforce clients are assisted in earning their Graduation Equivalency Diploma (GED) through a cooperative venture with the Columbia County School Board.
There were 49 customers who earned their GEDs last year through these classes led by Kaye Johnson. Johnson reported a 95 percent success rate last year.
Earning a GED is one method to improve the odds for employment.
Welfare transition
Florida Crown is one of two Workforce centers, which has met federal requirements for participants to receive cash assistance for the past two years, Welfare Transitions Supervisor Dana Poucher said.
To receive this assistance, clients must volunteer for community service, be involved in an educational program or get job experience as an unpaid intern, she said. The minimum time to commit is 30 hours per week, she added.
The state has cut the number of people on welfare by more than half since 1995, Poucher said, although the number is increasing now due to the economy.
Just as Florida has shown progress, this agency has excelled as well. There were 344 people who went from welfare to work last year as a result of help from Florida Crown. Of those, 142 remain employed, Hamilton said.
Assistance through the TANF Program is limited to 48 months in a lifetime, except for certain medical conditions, she said.
This program assists those customers through supportive services, which may include $20 weekly gas cards, uniforms and other work-related expenses. Florida Crown partners with Gateway Coalition to assist with childcare services at a reduced cost as well.
Workforce Investment Act
The WIA Program is many faceted, said Jean LeDew, WIA program manager.
It helps eligible adults with training needs, dislocated workers with re-employment needs and provides employers and customers with customized training programs for
high skill/high demand occupations.
Last year, there were more than 50 training completers within this program, which included such high-demand occupations as nursing, corrections, sheet-metal and welding.
LeDew also heads the very successful Youth Program in partnership with The Able Trust serving more than 100 youthful participants each year.
The after-school program is available in six high schools within the four counties and at Trinity United Methodist Church. This program provides basic skills assistance to youngsters with disabilities. There are also summer internships and field trips.
Successful office
Florida Crown has been in the top quartile of performing workforce regions for the past three years, Operations Manager Anna Schneider said, and it was No. 1 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008 for meeting goals set by the state.
This is despite continuing budget reductions, she added.
“We strive to provide the best possible service to our customers through the creativity, dedication and innovation of our talented staff,” Schneider said.
For more information call (386) 755-9026 in Lake City or (352) 542-3373 in Old Town.
Florida Crown Workforce covers one of the 24 one-stop regions in Florida, Project Manager Lynn Hamilton said. The one-stop concept began in 2000 as the state chose to place as many shared services in one location as possible, she said.
The Lake City office is at 1389 U.S. Highway 90 West. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Resource Room, which has computers for job applicants to search for employment, is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
One of the greatest challenges within this four-county region, Hamilton said, is to overcome the distance between employers and prospective employees. Florida Crown is committed to raising awareness for the need for mass transportation, she added.
Employer services
The Employers’ Services team assists employers in posting job openings, screening applicants, providing skills assessment, conducting career fairs and other business services. Wagner-Peyser Program Manager Linda Fu leads this team.
Conference rooms and offices are available for employer use. Job postings within the http://www.employflorida.com system assure a diverse hiring pool both statewide and nationally for employers to access.
Florida Crown accepted 6,800 applications for the recent 180 individuals hired at the Target Distribution Center.
Employee services
Jobseekers can use the Resource Room for job searches, resume development and one-on-one career guidance. It is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m. each weekday in the Lake City office.
Another service is known as Job Club.
Job Club classes provide skills training, such as “Dressing for Success,” resume development, mock interviews and the like.
The volume of help provided to people is extraordinary. The daily average of visitors is 85 to 100 customers.
Last year, more than 700 individuals gained employment through these services.
Special help
Needy people receive additional services.
Individuals who meet eligibility requirements of the Florida Department of Children & Families (DCF) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program (TANF) use the One-Stop Workforce.
Other people qualify for special help through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which assists adults, dislocated workers and both in- and out-of-school youths.
Veterans are served through the ENABLE
Project and Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program. Navigator services are available to individuals with disabilities. Senior workers are assisted through the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).
Florida Crown Workforce clients are assisted in earning their Graduation Equivalency Diploma (GED) through a cooperative venture with the Columbia County School Board.
There were 49 customers who earned their GEDs last year through these classes led by Kaye Johnson. Johnson reported a 95 percent success rate last year.
Earning a GED is one method to improve the odds for employment.
Welfare transition
Florida Crown is one of two Workforce centers, which has met federal requirements for participants to receive cash assistance for the past two years, Welfare Transitions Supervisor Dana Poucher said.
To receive this assistance, clients must volunteer for community service, be involved in an educational program or get job experience as an unpaid intern, she said. The minimum time to commit is 30 hours per week, she added.
The state has cut the number of people on welfare by more than half since 1995, Poucher said, although the number is increasing now due to the economy.
Just as Florida has shown progress, this agency has excelled as well. There were 344 people who went from welfare to work last year as a result of help from Florida Crown. Of those, 142 remain employed, Hamilton said.
Assistance through the TANF Program is limited to 48 months in a lifetime, except for certain medical conditions, she said.
This program assists those customers through supportive services, which may include $20 weekly gas cards, uniforms and other work-related expenses. Florida Crown partners with Gateway Coalition to assist with childcare services at a reduced cost as well.
Workforce Investment Act
The WIA Program is many faceted, said Jean LeDew, WIA program manager.
It helps eligible adults with training needs, dislocated workers with re-employment needs and provides employers and customers with customized training programs for
high skill/high demand occupations.
Last year, there were more than 50 training completers within this program, which included such high-demand occupations as nursing, corrections, sheet-metal and welding.
LeDew also heads the very successful Youth Program in partnership with The Able Trust serving more than 100 youthful participants each year.
The after-school program is available in six high schools within the four counties and at Trinity United Methodist Church. This program provides basic skills assistance to youngsters with disabilities. There are also summer internships and field trips.
Successful office
Florida Crown has been in the top quartile of performing workforce regions for the past three years, Operations Manager Anna Schneider said, and it was No. 1 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008 for meeting goals set by the state.
This is despite continuing budget reductions, she added.
“We strive to provide the best possible service to our customers through the creativity, dedication and innovation of our talented staff,” Schneider said.
For more information call (386) 755-9026 in Lake City or (352) 542-3373 in Old Town.
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Bob wrote on Nov 16, 2008 7:35 AM:
What a misleading or falsifying statement this is. This so called "free" service is complements of us the taxpayers.
Why do we need a wasteful service such as this? Shut it down and save us money. "