The Foundation of Associated Industries of Florida (FAIF), Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), FloridaMakes and Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI) will co-host the Cybersecurity Forum 2020 on September 16-17. The second annual forum, which is being held as a virtual event this year, will include relevant educational offerings on best practices in cybersecurity for businesses across all industries and professionals at all levels. The event will also provide a thorough overview of the new federally mandated Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Standards and guidance for the tens of thousands of Florida companies that must ensure compliance to maintain their business operations. Read More

The award process has been developed through the cooperative efforts of strategic partners, FloridaMakes and The Florida Sterling Council. The award examiners’ team is comprised of individuals who contribute time, expertise and diverse perspectives in company uations. The purposes of this award process are: To recognize high-performing Florida manufacturing companies. To offer an avenue for networking and sharing of best practices. To provide feedback and opportunities for improvement to encourage and develop higher performance in participant companies. To elevate the community perception of the Florida manufacturing sector and its positive contribution to the Florida economy.                                                                                Read More

FloridaMakes received a National Science Foundation grant to organize and execute the Technician Future of Work Issues Caucus for Florida Community Colleges and Manufacturers. The purpose of the event will be to gather key leadership from the advanced manufacturing industry along with its workforce and education stakeholders to foster a conversation around the future talent needs of the smart factory.  The goal of the Caucus is to identify technologies in Florida's small- to medium-sized manufacturers that directly contribute to Florida's technicians’ skills gap.  The project will first survey both manufacturers and 2-year college educators in Florida about future technical skills that will be used in manufacturing environments.  Stakeholder organizations including Associated Industries of Florida, CareerSource Florida, the regional manufacturers associations across the state, the Florida Department of Education's Division of Career, Technical, and Adult Education plus, Florida’s 28 state colleges and 48 technical centers will help distribute the questionnaires. The results will be reviewed by a select group of educators and manufacturers during the Caucus’ events. Outcomes and recommendations from this process will be shared with the public. Read More