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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Innovative Career-Oriented and Allied Programs for Vets |
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 Sitting, L-R: Ed LeBrun, Workforce Escarosa, Inc; William Maloy; Richard Podemski, UWF Associate Vice President for Research; Standing, L-R: Bill Neal, Agency for Workforce Innovation; Paul Frederick, UWF College of Professional Studies; Theresa Byrd, UWF Research and Sponsored Programs; John Cavanaugh, UWF President; Chris Cavanaugh, Interim Director, Research and Sponsored Programs; Anita Schonberger, UWF General Counsel; Don Chu, Dean, College of Professional Studies |
PENSACOLA, FL: Along with its Veterans’ Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program that falls under the management umbrella of the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, the panhandle now sports "Hometown Heroes Teach", a program that benefits the military vet and local schools. The University of West Florida and Workforce Escarosa, Inc. created Hometown Heroes to enable eligible service-connected disabled vets to get their Florida teaching certification and place them in an Escambia, Santa Rosa or Okaloosa school. During a pilot program that lasts two years, twenty-five men and women will be selected each year. Funding is from Workforce Florida (WF) along with UWF and WF Escarosa. Bill Maloy, the Hometown Heroes Program Director, said "the program is to accomplish two goals: assist in alleviating the teacher shortage and provide combat-wounded vets a chance to use their experience as they help regional youth through teaching." A consortium was created to help the vets. It consists of UWF, Workforce Escarosa, the Workforce Board of Okaloosa and Walton counties, and school boards of the three-county area. |
The program's intention is to help service members with service-connected disabilities, and also have a bachelor's degree, continue public service through teaching in critically needed teaching slots. The first group will begin preparation for teaching through the online "Teacher Ready" program and the first program slots will also be given to these identified veterans, of which three veterans have already been approved. The VBOC is designed to provide entrepreneurial development through business training, counseling and mentoring for all veterans. Funded by the SBA Office of Veterans Affairs and located at the SBDC at Gulf Coast Community College, services provided include self-employment workshops, concept assessments, business plan preparation, comprehensive feasibility analyses, entrepreneurial training and mentoring. International trade, internet marketing, franchising and accounting are also covered. Bob Yeselevige, owner of YESCO Scaffolding in Panama City, said "the pieces of the entrepreneurial puzzle were beginning to come together (for him), not by luck alone, but for the VBOC advice and their can-do 'Seabee attitude'." To underscore his feeling, Veteran clients of the FSBDCN and VBOC program have an impressive economic impact on the Florida economy; in 2005 a total of $150 million in contract awards to veteran-owned businesses was reported, $19.2 million in capital formation, $11.5 million in sales growth, along with 81 new business start ups and 745 new jobs created. "Veterans have proven their mettle in mission situations demanding endurance, stamina, flexibility, strength and determination," says Doug Swartout, VBOC Director. Together these two allied programs provide a two-fold benefit for the Northwest Florida region. Many opportunities for the disabled veteran that were not available years ago are available now. So, whether teaching or business ownership, veterans now have a bright future and the Florida Panhandle is the ultimate beneficiary of their newfound efforts. |
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