SEASON 1 – EPISODE 8

Special Episode Featuring Mid-FL Regional Manufacturers Association

In today’s special episode, we explore Mid-FL Regional Manufacturers Association (MRMA) and what they do for our region’s manufacturers, supply chain, and logisitcs companies.

We are joined by Kathleen Betz, MRMA Exuctive Director, Joe Corley, MRMA Board Chair, and Mitch Twardosky, MRMA Vice President.

SEASON 1 – EPISODE 7

Getting back into the Workforce after Retirement

May is Older American’s month and we thought it afforded an opportunity to explore another talent pool employers may consider when recruiting. Older workers bring a valuable asset to any business: experience. They have raised families, built careers, served our country and have given back to their community as role models and volunteers. 30 percent of the population in Marion County is 65 and older and 27 percent of workers are 55 and older. But as we are seeing a rising cost of living, not all seniors who might like to enjoy the fruits of their labor are able to or want to. So how can businesses leverage the experience of older workers and how can seniors get back into the labor force to do so?
 
With the help of Kevin Harrison, CareerSource CLM’s Career Center Manager, and Warren Thomas, Job Developer at the Pinellas County Urban League and Host Agency Job Developer for the Urban Senior’s Job Program, we might just find a solution. You’ve got questions, so do we. Let’s discuss on the Biz Spot.
SEASON 1 – EPISODE 6

Digging into Labor Force Participation Rates with Kevin Sheilley

We’ve heard a lot about what’s been called the “Great Resignation,” “The Big Quit,” “The Great Reshuffle” – all names given to the huge shifts in the workforce caused, we presume, by COVID-19. However, this implies a singular event with a one-and-done shift in talent. Recently, reports have shown that this disruption may have been a more ongoing process.

With today’s guest, Kevin Sheilley, President of the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership, we dig into the region’s labor force participation rate. It’s an important labor market measure because it represents the amount of labor resources available in the economy. Our three-county region has the labor resources but little participation- why?

You’ve got questions, so do we. Let’s discuss on the Biz Spot.

 

SEASON 1 – EPISODE 5

The Hazy Issue of Marijuana in the Workplace

In 2016, Florida voters voted to legalize medical marijuana. Businesses scrambled to understand how they were supposed to react to this change in state policy to align with their own. With federal and state laws in conflict, Human Resource managers, lawyers, and business owners have all struggled to answer the questions that have popped up in the wake of a workforce carrying medical marijuana licenses. Chad Sorenson, CEO of Adaptive HR Solutions and President of the Florida State HR Council, breaks down the best practices that he’s seen work within this hazy issue.

SEASON 1 – EPISODE 4

A Sneak Peek into the Art of HR Conference

The 2022 Art of HR Conference is just around the corner on January 18! It will be a jam-packed day full of best practices for cultivating a happier workplace, retaining employees, updates on employment law and even HR solutions to the hazy issue of marijuana.

Guests Sarah Bland, Conference Chair for the Ocala Human Resource Mangement Association (OHRMA) and HR Manager for Mars Company, Dale French, Executive Vice President of CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion, and Kathleen Betz, Executive Director of Mid-FL Regional Manufacturers Association (MRMA), give us a sneak peek at what’s going to happen at this year’s conference and why it’s helpful to all levels of business positions- not just Human Resources.

You’ve got questions, so do we. Let’s discuss on the Biz Spot.

SEASON 1 – EPISODE 3

Talent Pools

Last episode, our guests explained the problems they were having finding talent to fill their positions and how they reworked their hiring processes. Today, we’re continuing that conversation with a deep dive into talent pools that employers may not consider when trying to fill positions. Our guest experts Henry Ayala, U.S. Army retired sergeant first class and local Veteran Employment Representative, Noreen Salatino, career development coach at Lowell Correctional Institution, and Lauren Marcuzzi, youth workforce development specialist, explore the strengths of the candidates they work with daily.

You’ve got questions, so do we. Let’s discuss on the Biz Spot.

 

SEASON 1 – EPISODE 2

The Curious Case of Disappearing Talent

There are more jobs than ever before in the nation, in the state of Florida and in our region. If that’s the case, then why aren’t those jobs being filled? Where did all of the talent go?

In the second episode of the Biz Spot podcast, host Laura Byrnes and her guests Tisha Webber from Winco Manufacturing, Ashley Shorb from Colen Built Development and ORHMA, and Dale French from CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion dicuss solutions to finding new talent while retaining their current workforce.

You’ve got questions, so do we. Let’s discuss on the Biz Spot.

 

SEASON 1 – EPISODE 1

The Benefits and Consequences of Florida’s New Minimum Wage

Our pilot episode focuses on Florida’s minimum wage change that takes effect today, Sept. 30, 2021. The change takes the minimum wage from $8.65 an hour to $10 an hour and will increase to $15 an hour by 2026. Could raising the minimum wage harm the very people it’s supposed to help? Will businesses see increased employee loyalty? Guests, Al Jones, hiring manager, and Darlene Goddard, HR consultant, will offer their insights into how this change may impact our workforce landscape immediately and in the years to come.

You’ve got questions, so do we. Let’s discuss on the Biz Spot.

LOCATIONS

Marion County

2703 NE 14th St. Ocala, FL 34470

Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(352) 840-5700 | (800) 434-5627

Citrus County

683 S. Adolph Point Lecanto, FL 34461

Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(352) 249-3278 | (800) 434-5627

Levy County

2175 NW 11th Dr. Chiefland, FL 32626

Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(352) 493-6813 | (800) 434-5627

Corporate Office

2703 NE 14th St. Ocala, FL 34470

Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(352) 873-7939 | (800) 746-9950