Florida's Workforce System - Innovative by Design

Florida’s workforce system wasn’t built by accident. It was designed intentionally to be local, flexible, and responsive to the unique needs of each community. Our decentralized, locally driven structure is our greatest strength. Across Florida’s 21 regions, Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs) operate as incubators of innovation, where new ideas and approaches are regularly tested, refined, and shared.

In this network-based model, innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. Each LWDB is deeply connected to the employers, educators, and community leaders who know their local economies best. This proximity to the people and the problems means our boards can move quickly to pilot new solutions, evaluate results, and adapt to changing conditions faster than any centralized system ever could.

When a new idea works, it doesn’t stay local for long. Through strong collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the network, the most effective practices are scaled statewide. Continuous improvement is part of our DNA, supported by a wide range of subject matter expert groups who help train staff and ensure consistency of quality and expertise from Pensacola to Key West. This culture of shared learning and improvement strengthens our ability to meet the evolving needs of Florida’s employers and jobseekers alike.

More than a bundle of programs, Local Workforce Development Boards build our communities’ connective tissue. We convene businesses, local governments, and community-based organizations to leverage resources and relationships in pursuit of a common goal, solving complex workforce challenges that no single entity could tackle alone.

Florida’s workforce system is innovative by design. It’s a living network that learns, adapts, and scales success ensuring our state’s workforce remains ready for the future.

Joshua Matlock, FWDA President