CareerSource Tampa Bay Provides Services Laid Off Workers and Employers Need Now More Than Ever

June 25, 2020

Perhaps no one in our community has his fingers on the pulse of our current employment situation like John Flanagan, CEO of CareerSource Tampa Bay (CSTB). Under normal circumstances, John and his team are responsible for monitoring Hillsborough County’s unemployment situation and working with employers and training providers to help local residents find new jobs. With the sudden and devastating spike in unemployment in the wake of the pandemic, CSTB has been working double time to assist both employers and job seekers get back on their feet.

CSTB has created a helpful COVID-19 Toolkit, available in English and Spanish, that lists all of the current programs employers and job seekers can utilize for assistance. John has also launched a new podcast to take deeper dives into topics such as navigating the Employ Florida system.

Working together with Dr. Ken Atwater of HCC and other education providers, CSTB is identifying high-growth local industries and employers and crafting on-the-job training, incumbent worker training, and certificate programs to fast-track unemployed residents into new careers. Another outstanding resource that CSTB provides is a link to the MySkillsMyFuture.org web site, which gives dislocated workers tools to help them identify how their current skills might transfer into a new career.

Employers will also find a wealth of helpful information on the CSTB web site – everything from emergency and SBA loan information to the latest research. CSTB just launched its Business & Workforce Data Index, designed to help employers and community leaders track everything from sectors that are growing and declining to emergency bridge loan allocations by county.

For the EDC, collaborating with CSTB over the years has helped us to win exciting projects that have brought thousands of jobs to Tampa and Hillsborough County. We are thankful for the invaluable services they provide to our community – especially now, when they are needed more than ever.

Sincerely,

Craig