April 2019
Discussions with DEO
Hello! I want to begin by saying, thank you to all of our partners for welcoming me and working with me during my first few months in this position. Since January, I have seen firsthand the innovations and collaborative efforts of my DEO team and our partners across Florida.

At DEO, we have a committed team of nearly 1,500 Floridians who are working with each of our communities to create an environment where businesses can succeed. This is why we are introducing our monthly newsletter. This newsletter is intended to empower you, our partners, with information that's important to you.

Our priorities are to help Floridians rebuild their lives after disasters, ensure that our communities are prepared for all economic possibilities and coordinate with our partners at the local, state and federal level to help Floridians across the state. I look forward sharing our collaborative efforts to make our communities and our state a better place.

Sincerely,

Ken
National Small Business Week

National Small Business Week is May 5 - 11, 2019. National Small Business Week recognizes the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners. More than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create two out of three jobs in the United States each year. Our partners at the U.S. Small Business Administration will host a free, 2-day virtual conference May 7 - 8, 2019. Registration is free to the public and attendees will be able to participate in webinars of their choice.

Partners
The 2019 Sunshine State Games, hosted by the Florida Sports Foundation , is continuing until November. Now in its 40th year, the Sunshine State Games is the longest continuously-running State Games in the United States. The complete calendar of events for the 2019 Sunshine State Games is here .

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The Florida Early Stage Capital Conference will be held May 9 - 10, 2019 at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate in Orlando. This 2-day conference gathers angel and early stage investors across the state and features presentations from fast growing, innovative companies in the southeast. Space Florida will be offering the Accelerating Innovation Award, totaling $100,000.

Disaster Recovery
Rebuild Florida

After receiving feedback from impacted communities, DEO will continue to accept Rebuild Florida registrations past the March 29 deadline. Once a homeowner submits a registration, they will be invited to apply in phases with priority given to low-income individuals who are most vulnerable, including the elderly, those with disabilities and families with children under 18.



Disability Disaster Grant

DEO is partnering with CareerSource Broward to give more than $950,000 in federal funding to help individuals currently living in Florida cover the cost of repairing or replacing medical devices that were damaged or destroyed due to Hurricanes Irma or Maria.

The Disability Disaster Grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor, is being used to provide financial assistance to individuals with disabilities or physical impairments who were impacted by either storm. 

For full eligibility requirements and to fill out an application, please visit www.careersourcebroward.com/disabilitygrant or email disabilitydisasterhelp@careersourcebroward.com .  


Dislocated Worker Grant for Hurricane Michael

Governor DeSantis announced that Florida has been awarded an additional $5.8 million in federal funding through the National Dislocated Worker Grant to provide temporary employment to Floridians affected by Hurricane Michael. The federal Dislocated Worker Grant, administered by DEO, provides disaster relief employment in the form of temporary jobs that support clean-up and recovery efforts in a declared disaster area.

Florida's Workforce
Florida is focused on creating a resilient business-friendly environment to create more job opportunities for Floridians. Florida businesses created more than 200,000 jobs over the year. Florida's private-sector businesses created 208,100 jobs over the year and 12,600 in March 2019.

Over the year, 158,000 Floridians entered the labor force, which is an annual growth rate of 1.6 percent. This means more Floridians are confident about entering the workforce. Florida will continue to support career and technical education to provide opportunities for all Floridians to succeed.

Agency News:
Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Award of National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grant to Combat Opioid Crisis:
The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded DEO an opioid-crisis Dislocated Worker Grant to combat the opioid epidemic in Florida. The grant is worth up to $2,500,000. The funding will address the impacts the opioid crisis has had on Florida's workforce and will provide employment services to eligible individuals who have been affected.

DEO recognized for dedication to eliminating unemployment waste and abuse:
The National Association of State Workforce Agencies' (NASWA) 2019 State Information Data Exchange System (SIDES) Seminar in Nashville recently recognized DEO for our dedication to reducing fraud and waste in the Unemployment Insurance (UI) system by their commitment to utilizing SIDES for UI benefit claims.