Politics
Adrienne Johnston: Florida built a workforce system for growth. Let’s use it.
Forget what you have known about workforce development for decades. As Florida prepares to welcome a new Governor and members of the Legislature, its next leaders will inherit a modernized workforce system that does far more than connect employers with job seekers.
CareerSource Florida and its statewide network give Florida a competitive advantage for economic development.
Over the past several years, Florida has intentionally reshaped how it develops talent to better support economic growth. The state recently undertook the first comprehensive modernization of its workforce system in nearly 30 years. This effort increased collaboration among workforce, education, economic development, and government partners. It strengthened accountability, improved service delivery for job seekers and businesses, and laid the foundation for continued improvements in policy, technology, and regional planning.
That modernization matters because talent is economic infrastructure. Local services remain essential, but Florida’s greatest opportunity is to connect those services through statewide policies and systems that build a meaningful talent pipeline. Companies want confidence that they can find people with the right skills, in the right places, as their needs change. A state that can provide that confidence has an advantage in the competition for jobs and investment.
CareerSource Florida is positioned to help turn that advantage into economic growth. The business-led CareerSource Florida Board of Directors sets statewide direction, aligns investment with Florida’s economic priorities, and holds the network accountable for results. It is also positioned to champion Florida’s talent strategy with employers, policymakers, and partners statewide.
The system is now better equipped to set ambitious goals and use policy to drive progress toward them. For decades, local activity often came first, and statewide policy followed. Today, statewide policy sets a shared direction, and regional action turns that direction into results. Florida’s goal of 50,000 new apprentices by 2030 is a clear example. Reaching that goal will require coordinated policy, investment, employer engagement, and local execution, including expanded apprenticeship and other work-based learning opportunities that allow Floridians to earn while they learn.
Florida’s 21 Education and Industry Consortiums demonstrate how the modernized system was intentionally designed to give industry a stronger voice. These regional groups meet at least quarterly to bring employers, educators, and workforce partners together to identify priority skills, evaluate existing training programs, and pinpoint gaps. Their recommendations help local Workforce Development Boards direct training investments, programs, and partnerships. The result is a more direct path from industry insight to workforce policy and action.
The results are measurable. Last year, the CareerSource Florida network served more than 262,000 Floridians. Among those served, more than 30,000 are no longer receiving public assistance, and participants saw an average annual wage increase of $16,246. Registered apprenticeships illustrate that progression: for Floridians who completed their programs in 2024–25, average annual starting wages exceeded $36,000, compared with exit wages exceeding $58,000 at completion.
There is still work to do. Too many employers see the workforce system only as a place to post an opening, and too many Floridians think of it only as a place to turn after losing a job. We must continue breaking down those misconceptions, removing barriers that keep capable people from work, and strengthening consistency across all 21 local Workforce Development Boards.
Florida is well positioned for its next chapter, with statewide reach, strong business leadership, and a clear vision for the future. CareerSource Florida is excited to work alongside the next administration to further strengthen Florida’s talent pipeline and keep workforce development at the forefront of economic growth. The opportunity ahead is significant: to build on this momentum and make Florida’s skilled workforce an even greater driver of business attraction, economic competitiveness, and prosperity for all Floridians.
___
Adrienne Johnston is president and CEO of CareerSource Florida.
The post Adrienne Johnston: Florida built a workforce system for growth. Let’s use it. appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..