Florida High Tech Corridor Council’s online Labor Market Survey provides information on career opportunities, salary ranges, educational requirements and career outlooks for jobs within the geographic area of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council.

Available online since May at http://www.floridahightech.com/labormarketdata for job seekers, employers and workforce professionals, the survey focused on companies with 25 or more employees in eight target sectors along Florida’s High Tech Corridor including: aviation and aerospace; information technology; medical technologies; microelectronics; modeling, simulation and training; optics and photonics; educational institutions; and healthcare providers.

The survey collected data on the top ten occupations in each of the targeted industry sectors, and is extremely comprehensive, with a more than 23 percent response rate from 7,800 companies asked to participate, but not limited to surveyed companies or occupations. Occupational and industry data will be augmented with survey results from the 2002 Florida High Tech Corridor Labor Market Survey, as well as State and Federal Department of Labor data – including Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation – such as current employment and unemployment rates, educational providers and projected growth.

The Web site features an interactive and intuitive format which accesses all the data gathered through the initial and current surveys. The site is divided into two sections geared toward meeting the needs of job seekers and employers, with both sections providing information for workforce professionals.

Employers can use this valuable tool to locate and attract qualified workers, stay competitive in salary and benefit options as well as for planning and forecasting efforts. Workforce professionals are able to focus on the fastest growing occupations. They can also review job market trends, industry profiles, and occupational profiles as well as research educational and training providers and search for job candidates through America’s Job Bank, Hot Jobs, Monster.com and the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation’s job search site.

Job seekers are able to use the system to find new occupations by identifying skills and matching skills to job requirements and accessing local labor market information on projected growth and wages. In addition, they can access information on the education and job experience needed for specific occupations, access details on relevant local training programs, and search for current job listings through a “real time” search of America’s Job Bank, Hot Jobs, Monster.com and the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation’s job search site.

“This application supports the continued growth of our region by helping companies and workforce professionals make informed decisions and allowing workers to focus on finding high-wage, high-value jobs in industries thriving in our region,” said Randy Berridge, president of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council. “We are excited about the level of response that we have seen and look forward to being an informative source for both job seekers and employers.”

This year’s survey was conducted as a partnership between the Corridor Council; the Tampa Bay Partnership; Workforce Florida, Inc.; Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance; Workforce Central Florida; Polk Works; Manatee County Economic Development Council; and the Ocala/Marion County Economic Development Corporation.

The sponsors contracted with Geographic Solutions and Nielsen Media Research, two Tampa Bay area based companies, who conducted the survey of companies within the 21 counties of the Florida High Tech Corridor. They also developed an online resource for employers, job seekers, workforce development boards, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, educational institutions, and state agencies.

About the Florida High Tech Corridor

Created in 1996, the Council is co-chaired by the President of the University of South Florida, Judy Genshaft, and the President of the University of Central Florida, John Hitt, and has the mission to attract, retain and grow high tech industry in Florida’s High Tech Corridor. The Corridor includes more than 4,200 high technology companies in the 21 counties that make up the service areas of the two universities. This area stretches from Volusia and Brevard counties on Florida’s Space Coast through Orlando and on to Hillsborough, Pinellas and Sarasota counties in the Tampa Bay region. Today, the two metropolitan universities, 11 community colleges, a dozen economic development organizations and a host of high tech companies continue to work together to attract, retain and grow such sectors of high tech industry as: information technology; medical technologies; microelectronics; modeling, simulation & training; aviation & aerospace; and optics & photonics. For more information you can visit the Council’s Web site at www.floridahightech.com.