Northwest Florida Realtor

Northwest Florida’s workforce, economic development, education and business communities have a long track record of collaboration and partnership, working together to implement strategies and create solutions to meet current and future workforce needs. In February, 2006 the partnership’s vision for a unified strategic approach to workforce, education, and economic development for a diversified and sustainable economy was accelerated when the U.S. Department of Labor identified Northwest Florida as one of its original 13 WIRED regions.

Florida’s Great Northwest, Inc. is the administrator and facilitating organization for the WIRED Northwest Florida Initiative, Northwest Florida’s regional strategy for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development Initiative. Secured through an extremely competitive bid process, the $15 million federal grant is funding workforce development initiatives throughout Northwest Florida. Established regionally as a matching grant program, this translates into a minimum $30 million investment in talent development addressing the high-wage, high-skill workforce needs in the target industries of Aviation, Aerospace, Defense and National Security; Life Sciences; Information Technology; Engineering; Renewable Energy and Environment; Distribution, Transportation and Logistics; and Construction Product Manufacturing and Distribution. Matching funds generated early in the initiative have been significantly stronger than required, indicating that at the conclusion of the federal grant in early 2010, the WIRED Northwest Florida Initiative will actually represent closer to a $50 million investment in workforce training and training program development for the region. Additional leveraged resources supporting the outcomes of the Initiative include over $87 million of federal funds awarded throughout the region.

The input and guidance provided by the Governance Council and Industry Advisory Councils in each of the target industries is an integral component of the Initiative. Each Industry Advisory Council incorporates membership from the regional partners, including businesses actively engaged in that target industry.

The WIRED Northwest Florida Initiative includes:
Grants enabling job training for new and existing businesses in target industries
Secondary education career academy development that is (1) geared for skills related to entry-level employment in targeted industries or (2) accelerated, intense college preparation in the areas of math and science
Funding of post-secondary training and education programs that develop workforce skills required by target industries
An outreach program to educate and attract sufficient numbers of students of all ages into the skills training programs to meet workforce demands
A strategic development component designed to ensure the workforce development programs are generating skills necessary to meet current and future target industry needs

Strategic Partnerships
On the basis of its membership profile alone, Florida’s Great Northwest exemplifies a regional partnership which most economic development organizations would envy. This partnership includes local economic development organizations with countywide membership including private sector, civic and government leadership; all of the region’s workforce development boards, post-secondary institutions at the community college, four-year college and university levels; and private businesses covering a wide spectrum of disciplines. Florida’s Great Northwest and its members have the capabilities to influence decisions on regional and local levels, and enjoy broad regional support and perspective.
The continuously expanding partnerships that have been built are key to the success of the WIRED Northwest Florida Initiative and the region’s economic position. As a direct result of the Initiative, more coordinated efforts in regional planning are being undertaken. Florida’s Great Northwest has been an active partner in preparation of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies for both the West Florida and Apalachee Regional Planning Councils. Developers of major projects regularly seek counsel from Florida’s Great Northwest in determining how to best align their properties with the region’s economic development strategies. Public education is linking its workforce training curricula to the employment needs and forecasts for the region. Economic development, education and employers have joined forces to assess the region’s economic position and implement programs to foster economic growth.

Critical partnerships include the following:
Post-secondary education institutions, including technical schools, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities
Secondary education systems
The region’s six workforce development boards
Workforce Florida, Inc. and Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation
Florida Small Business Development Center’s four Northwest Florida regional offices
Foundations active in the region
Private sector business involvement representing employers in target industries, industry association groups, and support industries such as the finance, accounting and legal industries, engineering and architectural design
The region’s county economic development organizations and chambers of commerce
Enterprise Florida, Inc.

The early results seen so far are only the beginning of the total potential expected to be achieved as a result of the Initiative’s efforts. Through catalytic funding of the U.S. Department of Labor WIRED grant, Florida’s Great Northwest has been able to significantly accelerate workforce development efforts and build the foundation for significant future successes.



Although the initial U.S. Department of Labor funding, the matching funds, and the additional grants Florida’s Great Northwest has been able to leverage are significant and have enhanced job growth and skills training in the region, the real success of the initiative is in the strength of the public-private sector partnership, the shared vision, and strategic plan for long-term economic sustainability and diversification, and a sustainable initiative post-DOL funding. At the funding cycle’s conclusion in 2010, the grant monies may no longer be flowing, but the region’s leadership, vision, and strategy is in place to sustain the initiative far into the future.

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