Florida’s Great Northwest, Inc. has awarded Opportunity Florida a grant in the amount of $102,800. This grant award will serve to promote Opportunity Florida’s newly developed MyFloridaMilitary.com website in the Northwest Florida region and throughout the country. This grant award is funded by Florida's Great Northwest’s WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) Northwest Florida Initiative.

Opportunity Florida is the regional economic development organization serving eight rural counties in Northwest Florida: Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty and Washington. Opportunity Florida’s development of the MyFloridaMilitary.com website is aimed at connecting the technical talent of military personnel, active military spouses, veterans and BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) dislocated workers that are transitioning out of the armed services with regional employers in search of personnel with those skills. This site is being launched in partnership with Opportunity Florida, Florida’s Great Northwest and all five of Northwest Florida’s workforce boards.

Al Wenstrand, President of Florida’s Great Northwest stated, “Military separations represent a quality and technologically savvy workforce that is in high demand by companies in Northwest Florida. MyFloridaMilitary.com provides an innovative mechanism to facilitate connecting this potential workforce to the high-wage, high-skill employment opportunities in the area.”

“Members of the military come into the civilian workforce with a multitude of highly technical and valuable skills. We want to ensure they remain in the area to enhance the quality of our workforce,” added Gary Clark, Opportunity Florida Board Chairman. “And besides that, we owe them. This site is just one small way of showing our appreciation for all they have done.”

The website provides a number of valuable resources and tools for those transitioning from the military and seeking employment. One of the features incorporated into the MyFloridaMilitary.com site is a secure message board that allows both employers and prospective employees to communicate directly, while protecting their respective identities until such a time disclosure is agreed upon by both parties. In addition, the site provides job-search resources such as formatted resumes, form letters and links to many state and federal agency job listings, as well as numerous related internet links beneficial to the job seeker.

"MyFloridaMilitary.com is a great tool to help our best and brightest businesses connect with our best and brightest workers," said Richard Williams, Executive Director of Chipola Regional Workforce Board which serves Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, Liberty and Washington Counties.