About Us
WelcometoNorthwestFlorida.com is brought to you by a community partnership coordinated and staffed by the Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties.
The Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties is a non-profit organization that:
- Identifies and facilitates the management of workforce issues in our local community
- Convenes the appropriate organizations and individuals to address them
- Oversees the daily delivery of employment and training services to employers, workers, and job seekers through the JobsPlus One-Stop Career Centers
Board members are volunteers representing business and industry, economic development, education, organized labor, local and state government, and community-based organizations. By legislative design, local business leaders must comprise a minimum of 51% of board membership. Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development Councils nominate business leaders and membership to the board is by appointment of the appropriate Board of County Commissioners.
Established in 1996, the Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties was a direct result of the Workforce Florida Act and the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and Florida’s Workforce Innovation Act of 2000 have reinforced its role.
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is a federal law that implements a one-stop delivery system for job seekers and employers. Northwest Florida’s version of the one-stop delivery system is our network of JobsPlus Centers. Each center brings together –- under one roof -- all of the services and organizations a military spouse job seeker needs to ease their transition into reemployment.
Among the community partners that provide employment and training services at the JobsPlus One-stop Career Centers are
- WDB
- Department of Economic Opportunity
- Department of Children and Families
- Job Corps
- Veterans’ Services
- Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Under the leadership of the Workforce Development Board, a task force of community agencies has been brought together with the goal of being able to provide relocating personnel and their families with a one-stop website that will enable easy access to a broad range of area resources. Members on this task force, called the JobsPlus Northwest Florida Military Community Council, include military spouses, school boards, chambers of commerce, family support organizations, medical centers and local colleges. The Council also has representatives from non-profit organization, early learning and child care centers, local governments, and numerous other agencies.
It is our sincere hope that WelcometoNorthwestFlorida.com will prove to be a valuable tool for all who may be looking down the road to a relocation to our area. We welcome your comments and questions and invite you to contact us at dhaynes@jobsplus02.com.
Mostly, however, we welcome you!!
Linda Sumblin, Executive Director
The Workforce Development Board
of Okaloosa and Walton Counties
www.jobsplusonestop.com
