New jobs portal for Florida veterans

A new online jobs portal to provide employment services to Florida veterans has been created. Employ Florida Vets, the newest initiative in Florida’s longstanding commitment to veterans, helps match servicemen and women to the jobs and training opportunities that suit the skills and experience gained in the military.

“Our courageous veterans are proven, skilled leaders whose integrity and discipline have helped protect the freedoms and opportunities we all enjoy,” said Florida Governor Charlie Crist. “Employ Florida Vets is the latest example of our commitment to provide the men and women who defended our nation and now call Florida home with enhanced opportunities to find jobs and access training and other resources that will help them be successful in their civilian careers.”

The Employ Florida Vets portal was developed following a roundtable discussion hosted by Governor Crist for Florida veterans and employers on ways to increase awareness of job opportunities and employment services for veterans. The discussion emphasized the value veterans bring to the workplace and explored ideas on how the state can better assist them in finding employment after completing military service. Governor Crist highlighted the portal today during a visit to a One-Stop Career Center located on the campus of the Bay Pines VA Medical Center, accompanied by state workforce, military and veterans’ affairs officials.

“With more than 2,500 of our Florida National Guard members returning from overseas deployments within the next six months, initiatives like Employ Florida Vets will be more important than ever,” said Adjutant General of Florida Maj. Gen. Emmett R. Titshaw Jr. “This is not only an effective way of making sure our citizen-Soldiers and Airmen are given the tools they need to find meaningful employment, but a great opportunity to provide Florida employers with access to our highly skilled and professional veterans.”

Employ Florida Vets, online at http://Veterans.EmployFlorida.com, is a joint venture of Workforce Florida Inc. and the Agency for Workforce Innovation in partnership with the state’s 24 Regional Workforce Boards. Employ Florida Vets was developed through a series of focus group meetings with veterans. Portal highlights include:

• A unique jobs search function to help veterans find civilian jobs that match the skills they learned in the military.
• Information and advice about writing resumes and finding apprenticeships and jobs ideally suited to their military experience.
• Information about the Florida law that gives veterans hiring preference when they apply for public-sector jobs.
• Information for Florida businesses and organizations about tax incentives available for hiring veterans.
• A centralized jobs posting site for employers seeking veterans with specialized skills.
• Employers are able to enter open positions directly on www.EmployFlorida.com or through their local One-Stop Career Center.

“The strength of Florida’s workforce depends on the diverse expertise and skills of every Floridian,” said Belinda Keiser, Chair of Workforce Florida Inc.  “Employ Florida Vets will help us cultivate our veterans’ talents and their valued contributions to our economy by ensuring that they are able to take advantage of all of the career tools and opportunities available to them.”

“As thousands of veterans return to Florida following recent deployments, it is even more critical for Florida’s workforce system to continue to build on our commitment to serving those who serve our country,” said Cynthia R. Lorenzo, Director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation. “With Employ Florida Vets, we can immediately connect our returning veterans with employers seeking the leadership, skills and advanced training our servicemen and women bring to the workplace.  Our veterans can more quickly transition to civilian employment, and Florida’s employers are stronger as a result.”

In addition to Employ Florida Vets, One-Stop Career Centers around the state offer a wealth of resources including specialized Local Veterans’ Employment Representatives and Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program staff who can provide relevant veteran applicant referrals. Last year, Florida’s 92 One-Stops served more than 100,000 veterans, more than 10,000 of whom had recently separated from the Armed Forces. Additionally, Florida has seven regional advocates dedicated to connecting military spouses and dependents with new training and employment opportunities through the Military Family Employment Advocacy Program.

“Hiring a veteran is a no-brainer,” said Bob Milligan, interim executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “With national statistics showing post-military unemployment rates higher than the average for the general population, this new initiative to link highly skilled veterans and employers together is another example of Florida earning a reputation as one of the most veteran-friendly states in the nation.”

To locate the One-Stop Career Centers in your area, please visit http://www.floridajobs.org/onestop/onestopdir/index.htm.

Employ Florida Vets is a dedicated portal of the Employ Florida Marketplace, the state’s official online job bank at www.EmployFlorida.com. Launched in 2005, www.EmployFlorida.com has listed more than four million jobs since its inception. For more information, interested participants can call the help desk at 1-800-438-4128.

Related posts:

1. Florida Gulf oil spill jobs website launched
2. Governor Crist Highlights Programs Supporting Military Families at Florida Veterans Resource Showcase
3. Florida begins survey of green jobs in state
4. Florida unemployment rate up to 11 percent; over 98,000 unemployed in Broward
5. Florida’s unemployment down again; 4200 Gulf jobs available

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Posted by Andrea Freygang on Sep 10 2010. Filed under Broward County, Employment, Local news, Tallahassee. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry