As chairman of the Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties, I welcome you to the first email edition of “Workforce Developments”. Our goal is to strengthen communication with you through this quarterly newsletter. I know that my colleagues do good work and I want you to know it too. I welcome your feedback on information pertinent to business issues, your needs, and your concerns.

Our mission at the Workforce Development Board is to insure that every citizen has the opportunity and skills necessary to engage in meaningful employment throughout Okaloosa and Walton Counties, and that every business has access to educated, trained and prepared employees. In order to accomplish our mission we function as a catalyst with public and private partners in an effort to assist businesses anticipate and develop solutions for tomorrow and beyond.

In this issue we have highlighted some of our recent achievements and activities.

·        Winning the 2004 George Kirkpatrick Innovation Award, Florida’s most prestigious workforce award, was the highlight of the year. I am proud of the partnership the Workforce Development Board has with the Okaloosa County School District in the development and oversight of the CHOICE (Community High: Okaloosa Institutes for Career Education) Institutes and the impact CHOICE will have on the future workforce in our region.

·        I would also like to recognize the board, board staff, and JobsPlus center staff for the quality of response delivered in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. The timely assistance, delivered to affected businesses and individuals, has played a positive role in our region’s on-going recovery efforts.

·        Grant funding awarded by the First Jobs/First Wages and High Skills/High Wages Councils will help build an effective current and future workforce in Okaloosa and Walton Counties.

·        Finally the addition of new services for professionals through the Professional Placement Network and additional emphasis on services for veterans through the Hire Vets First Campaign add to the effectiveness of the workforce development system in our region.

I hope you will have time to read about each of these efforts.

2004 has been a productive year for our Workforce Development Board and the JobsPlus One-Stop Centers. Dedicated board members and staff as well as community support and partnership make this possible. I wish each of you a happy and prosperous New Year and look forward to working with you in 2005 to continue to build a workforce that meets the needs of our region both now and in the future.      

Robert Dobson

Chairman, Workforce Development Board

 Return to Newsletter Front Page