Beginning in February 2014, the Gulf Coast Workforce Board and Workforce Center will become CareerSource Gulf Coast as part of a new state-wide brand identity to better align Florida’s nationally recognized workforce system and improve customer awareness and use of the system’s services and resources.
The new brand, CareerSource Florida, is a result of extensive market research and input from employers, job seekers, workforce professionals and community partners throughout Florida. The name, logo and charter for the entire workforce system were approved unanimously by the Workforce Florida, Inc. Board of Directors in May 2013. The Gulf Coast Workforce Board of Directors approved its aligned regional brand name of Career Source Gulf Coast at the September 2013 board meeting.
Prior to the rebranding initiative, there were 25 regional brand names, for the state and local workforce boards, as well as numerous other brands associated with the system and its one-stop career centers. Research indicated the multiplicity of names contributed to a lack of awareness among both employers and job seekers of the system’s employment and training resources.
“A lot of work has been done for the February 2014 launch, even though we have enjoyed our local identity and feel that we have had good brand recognition locally, we are supportive of the brand change because helps job seekers and employers across the state, and even outside the state, understand that we are part of a statewide system of resources designed to connect them to careers and talent respectively”, said Kim Bodine, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board.
Planning for the re-branding began in September 2013 and includes everything from replacing signage, ordering new business cards, designing new promotional materials, developing transitional advertising, purchasing of staff uniforms, and a newly designed website and URL, www.careersourcegc.org .
The initiative to develop Florida’s unified workforce system brand was brought about by the Regional Workforce Boards Accountability Act of 2012. Passed by the Florida Legislature and signed into law by Governor Rick Scott, the law — which called for the system to evaluate the means to establish a single, statewide workforce system brand — took effect on July 1, 2012.
“Our CareerSource Florida state and regional brand names convey our shared mission to connect businesses with skilled talent and Floridians with skills development needed not only when seeking a job but throughout their career,” said Dwayne Ingram, Chairman of the Workforce Florida Board of Directors. “This exciting new brand demonstrates our system’s continued collaboration, innovation and leadership in developing strategies to maximize resources that help job seekers and businesses succeed.”
Florida is among a growing number of states nationally to unify its workforce system through a common brand name. Others include California, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. However, further distinguishing itself as a national leader, Florida is the first state to unify its statewide board, regional workforce boards and career centers through a single brand identity.
CareerSource Gulf Coast will be hosting a ribbon cutting and the Bay County Chamber of Commerce business after hours on Tuesday February 11 from 5 to 7 pm at 625 Hwy 231, Panama City, Fl, in the Mariner Plaza.
