CareerSource Florida Awarded for National Leadership

CareerSource Florida, the state’s workforce policy and investment board, was honored last week with the 2014 State Excellence Award for Leadership (SEAL) by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA). Judges selected Florida’s statewide branding effort as 2014’s top workforce initiative, recognizing the service and performance improvements facilitated by the launch in February of the CareerSource Florida network. IDEAS, along with project teammates TWsquared and Integrated Insight, worked with CareerSource Florida over the last two years on the branding initiative.

“Nothing increases brand awareness like achieving great results,” said NASWA President Ellen Golombek, “and CareerSource Florida has become a model for other states who want to gain recognition as economic development professionals. CareerSource Florida hasn’t just moved the work of career centers up a notch, it’s been a real game-changer.”

The SEAL award is a top honor bestowed annually by NASWA in recognition of a workforce-related program, project or initiative that is innovative, addresses a challenge requiring collaboration and results in significant service and/or performance improvement. NASWA comprises the nation’s state administrators for employment and training services, labor market information and unemployment compensation and includes the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

“We are honored to be recognized by our workforce development peers nationally for this major step forward to better connect employers with qualified, skilled talent and Floridians with opportunities to achieve economic prosperity,” said CareerSource Florida Board Chairman Dwayne Ingram.

“Credit for the successful launch and implementation of the unified CareerSource Florida brand goes to the workforce professionals whose interaction with job seekers and employers makes a positive difference in thousands of lives every day,” said CareerSource Florida President and CEO Chris Hart IV.

In launching the CareerSource Florida brand, Florida became the first state in the nation to align all of its workforce boards, state and local, and career centers through a single brand identity to enhance awareness and use of employment and training services. The process leading up to this successful activation included 15 months of comprehensive research and development overseen by CareerSource Florida Vice President of Communications Adriane Glenn Grant and involved the state’s 24 regional workforce boards, DEO and numerous business, education and economic development stakeholders.

CareerSource Florida chose Team IDEAS in a competitive process to lead the rebranding effort. Led by IDEAS, a media and experience design company, the Orlando-based team also included Integrated Insight, experts in market research and analysis and TWsquared, a marketing strategy and communications firm.

“The opportunity to take a brand through a complete re-imagining is rare”, notes Bob Allen Founder and Chief Storyteling officer of IDEAS. “The incredible network of passionate and tireless professionals across the state who comprise CareerSource Florida showed courage and a commitment to innovation by engaging with our team in the painstaking and methodical process of creating new and vital brand around a living story.”

“After a thorough development process, market testing indicated that our new brand connected with businesses and job seekers throughout the state,” said Bruce Ferguson, President of both CareerSource Northeast Florida and the Florida Workforce Development Association. “The recognition received last week from a network of our peers underscores that Florida’s new brand is having a positive effect.”

About CareerSource Florida: CareerSource Florida is the statewide workforce policy and investment board of business and government leaders charged with overseeing the CareerSource Florida network, which includes the Department of Economic Opportunity, 24 regional workforce boards and nearly 100 career centers. CareerSource Florida connects employers with qualified, skilled talent and Floridians with employment and career development opportunities to achieve economic prosperity. Learn more at careersourceflorida.com or 1-866-352-2345.

About IDEAS: Located in downtown Orlando, IDEAS is a media and experience design company using the central premise that powerful stories create powerful experiences. IDEAS creates products for healthcare, government, enterprise, and entertainment clients worldwide as well as creating its own intellectual property. The team at IDEAS has more than 400 years aggregate experience in concept development, experience design, branding, training, and media production, and mobile development. For more about IDEAS visit www.IDEASorlando.com.