WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) is the region’s workforce
expert, an authority for workforce planning, programs and the labor
market. WCF offers innovative solutions to assist Central
Florida businesses to succeed in today’s workforce, while providing
the tools job seekers need to find or advance in their current
career. Although WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA adopted its name
and current mission in 1999, elements of the organization date back
to 1996.
Two years prior in 1994, the Florida Jobs and Education
Partnership recommended restructuring Florida’s workforce
development system. As a result of this recommendation, the
Central Florida Jobs and Education Partnership, Inc. (CFJEP) was
formed in 1996 to cover the service area of Lake, Orange, Osceola,
Seminole and Sumter counties. The CFJEP’s program was designed
to prepare youth and adults who were facing serious barriers to
employment for participation in the labor force by providing job
training and other services.
The following year, the Central Florida WAGES Coalition was
created to provide planning, coordination, and accountability for
the WAGES (Florida Work and Gain Economic Self-Sufficiency) program
in our service area. The program’s goal emphasized work,
self-sufficiency and personal responsibility while meeting the
transitional needs of program participants who needed short-term
assistance.
In 1999, the Central Florida Jobs and Education Partnership,
Inc. and the Central Florida WAGES Coalition combined their efforts
and merged into one board, WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA. By
combining the delivery systems of both, the organization saved $1
million.
During the same year, WCF also acquired the management of the
Workforce Investment Act, a program designed to increase the
employment, retention, and earnings of participants; enhance
occupational skill attainment by participants; and, as a result,
improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency,
and boost the productivity and competitiveness of the
nation.
Today, WCF helps over 4,000 employers connect with more than
53,000 job seekers each year. For more information on WCF
successes see our
annual
reports and our
success stories.
