December 17, 2018
TODAY'S WORKFORCE: SPECIAL GRADUATION ISSUE NOW AVAILABLE AT FLORIDABUSINESS.ORG – The Volusia County Economic Development Division has released a Special Graduation Edition of Today's Workforce to showcase the occupational focus of nearly 12,000 students awarded certificates, credentials, diplomas or degrees by county educational institutions during the 2017/2018 school year. In addition to graduation data, readers will find articles describing the community's success in preparing students and incumbent workers with skills that meet today's evolving business needs. Learn more about Volusia County's graduates and the collaborative work being done by local training, education and business partners by reading the Special Graduation Issue at www.floridabusiness.org/economic-reports/local-partner-reports.stml.
GRANT TRAINING – Stetson University and Grant Writing USA® will present a two-day grants workshop Jan. 24-25 in DeLand. Learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals. This training is for grant seekers across all disciplines; beginning and experienced grant writers are encouraged to attend. Multi-enrollment and returning alumni discounts are available. Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment. Tuition is $455 and includes two days of instruction, workbook, and access to the workshop Alumni Forum that has tools, helpful discussions and many sample grant proposals. Seating is limited, and online reservations are necessary. Contact Tammy Pitts at 888-435-7281 or tammyp@grantwritingusa.com.
TSA PRECHECK COMING TO DAB – The TSA PreCheck Enrollment Center will open Jan. 14-18. The enrollment center will be in the baggage claim area on the first level of Daytona Beach International Airport. If you'd like to sign up but haven't registered yet, check available appointment times online. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Visit www.identogo.com/precheck.
EXPORTING TO AFRICA – Enterprise Florida will lead a delegation of Florida manufacturers and services providers to further trade relations between Florida and the gateway to sub-Saharan Africa, Morocco, from April 14 to 18. Morocco is the sixth largest economy in Africa and a top destination for foreign investment and trade. Enterprise Florida is collaborating with the U.S. Commercial Service in Casablanca to coordinate the mission and facilitate business-to-business meetings utilizing the U.S. Commercial Service’s Gold Key Service for the Florida participants. To learn more, contact Virgil Kimball at 386-248-8048 or Vkimball@volusia.org.
THINKING OF STARTING A NEW BUSINESS IN 2019? – If 2019 is the year to plan your new business, one easy first step is to consider using the free online business plan resources provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). A well thought out plan helps you to step back and think objectively about the key elements of your venture and informs your decision-making on a regular basis. You can complete each section of SBA's Business Plan Tool at your own pace and even connect with a local business counselor when your plan is completed. Get started now by registering for a new account at www.sba.gov/tools/business-plan/1.
EMPLOYMENT GAINS FOR VETS – As reported, the ninth annual veterans survey from the Jacksonville-based Wounded Warriors Project shows those surveyed made a 40 percent employment gain between 2014 and 2018. More than 33,000 surveys were completed by veterans. Among those surveyed, the unemployment rate dropped from 20 percent in 2014 to 12 percent in 2018. Although it reflected a notable hiring improvement, 12 percent is still a significantly higher unemployment rate than among the general population. According to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida’s unemployment rate in October was 3.4 percent.
LOWEST SHARE OF HOUSEHOLD DEBT SINCE 1988 – According to CoreLogic, household mortgage debt in the United States fell to 64.6 percent of total household debt in the third quarter of 2018, according to the latest Federal Reserve Financial Accounts data release. Mortgage debt now makes up the lowest share of household debt since the first quarter of 1988. In addition, from the fourth quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018, the total number of mortgaged homes in negative equity decreased 3 percent to just under 2.5 million homes or 4.7 percent of all mortgaged properties. Negative equity peaked at 26 percent of mortgaged residential properties in the fourth quarter of 2009, based on the CoreLogic equity data analysis, which began in the third quarter of 2009. Visit https://tinyurl.com/y8t2xq9h to learn more. To access the Home Equity Report, see https://tinyurl.com/y9w5j6mu.
PUBLIC UNIVERSITY RESEARCH IN FLORIDA – As recently reported, Florida’s public universities rose from No. 5 to No. 4 in national research rankings and increased their research awards by 8 percent even as funding fell 5 percent nationwide. Florida’s rise in the research arena is seen as an economic boon for the state, with Florida’s universities turning $2.2 billion in research activity into a $6.6 billion economic impact. The National Academy of Inventors recently recognized five of Florida’s public universities as being in the Top 100 for producing utility patents, the most of any state, and for the second year in a row U.S. News & World Report named Florida the top state in the country for higher education. For more on that higher education ranking, visit https://tinyurl.com/hnvxq3j.
NEWS ITEMS WANTED! – Please send your business news items to Joanne Magley, Volusia County Information Director, at jmagley@volusia.org.