Employ Florida Banner Center for Logistics & Distribution
The
Employ Florida Banner Center for Logistics & Distribution, in
concert with our preferred partners—Banner
Center for Career Academies/Secondary,
Florida Community College at Jacksonville,
Lake City Community College,
Okaloosa-Walton College,
Polk Community College Corporate College, the
University of Florida SCALE Center,
and the
University of North Florida Division of
Continuing Education—serves as a resource
for logistics and distribution education within the state of Florida.
Florida Banner Centers are a commitment
from the state of Florida's Workforce Florida, Inc., and the community
colleges to help employees remain prepared to do their jobs well now and in
the future; ensure that employers have a qualified, capable, highly trained,
certified workforce to help make these companies more competitive; and to
retain and attract these types of companies to Florida.
As part of that commitment, the Employ Florida Banner
Center for Logistics & Distribution will support Florida’s industries by
offering:
- Skilled worker training and continuous education services
- Curriculum development with clear standards (including industry
recognized certifications where possible)
- Formalization of industry skill standards and workforce credentialing
- Educational research
- Technical support for logistics and distribution industries and
related ones
- Fostering of spin-off business opportunities
The Employ Florida Banner Center for Logistics & Distribution provides
information, education, and training to develop the most relevant and
cutting edge logistics & distribution skills in people in order to supply a
pipeline of talent to employers in the logistics & distribution industry and
employers across industries who have the logistics & distribution function.
Please take time to review our 2007/08 goals in the
Banner Center Implementation Plan (PDF).
What
is a Banner Center?
Workforce Florida, Inc. set up a statewide system of
industry-driven training clearinghouses known as Employ Florida Banner
Centers.
Our Mission
To impact Florida’s economy by collaboratively engaging industry,
education, workforce and economic development in a creative and innovative
environment to address the current and future workforce needs of a targeted
industry.
Guiding Principles
- Become the nexus for industry knowledge related to workforce needs
of a targeted industry.
- Develop industry-driven workforce development products and services
valued by businesses designed to train a globally competitive workforce.
- Support the pipeline development needs of the industry from
entry-level to advanced workers.
- Deliver workforce development products, services, training, and access
to certifications valued by industry.
- Expand delivery through partnerships with other educational
facilities; secondary and postsecondary, public and private.
- Promote and support economic development in a targeted industry
throughout the state.
- Utilize the value of products and services developed to create
income/revenue streams.
- Use a business model for becoming a self-sustaining entity within five
(5) years.
Overview
Still a relatively new initiative, Employ Florida Banner Centers bring
industry, workforce, education and economic development together, backed by
$8.8 million in start-up funding, to create cutting-edge curricula to train
workers in high-skills, high-wage sectors. The $8.8 million funding has come
from a number of sources. During FY 2006-2007, Workforce Florida Inc.
combined $2.2 million in WIA state set-aside with $4 million in
non-recurring general revenue supplied by the Legislature. With general
revenue being unavailable during FY 2007-2008, Workforce Florida has
committed $2.6 million in WIA state set-aside to continue development of the
existing Banner Centers and create two new centers focused on information
technology and digital media at Seminole Community College and alternative
energy lead by the University of Central Florida’s Florida Solar Energy
Center. Contract negotiations are currently taking place for $500,000 each
to start these new programs.
Education and industry partners also have leveraged about $8 million in
funds to support the development of the Employ Florida Banner Centers that
focus on growing Florida’s skilled workforce in key sectors such as
biotechnology, manufacturing, logistics, health sciences and
aviation/aerospace, among others. In their first year, over 1,000 people
have been trained through Banner Centers, with more than 300 receiving
industry certifications, nearly 130 have gotten new jobs and another 100
better jobs or promotions. The centers have developed 28 new industry-driven
curricula that are portable for use statewide. More than 26 colleges and
universities collaboratively take part of this innovative initiative.