Spotlight On: Carol Hylton, President & CEO, Careersource Broward
November 2024 — Collaboration and bringing people to the table have been the key to solving the workforce challenges our region has faced over the last two years, according to Carol Hylton, president and CEO of CareerSource Broward. “As a convener, when we bring the right people to the table, we’re able to discuss critical workforce-related issues, develop strategies, and then implement effective programs and services that benefit both job seekers and employers,” she told Invest:.
How has CareerSource adapted its services to meet the needs of job seekers and employers?
Educating our employers. We can’t ignore the fact that the nation’s population is aging. Many of our baby boomers, especially those who reside in the state of Florida, have retired or are planning to do so. Both of these factors will cause constant pressure on the labor force, as employers in many industries will need a continuous pipeline of talent in order to grow their business. To that end, the use of technology, especially AI, is very important. Last year, we held our inaugural State of the Workforce event because we wanted to make sure employers are prepared for the changes AI will bring.
We have heard that some employers are afraid of AI, but we need to embrace it, because it can move business to the next level. During the event, we had a speaker who addressed all the different ways AI will impact businesses both large and small.
CSBD has made a point of making sure we remain in the forefront of technological advances in offering services to jobseekers and employers. Recently, CareerSource Broward added Sam, a chatbot, to our website. Sam can understand and respond in a variety of languages and is able to answer questions about our services. Sam makes it easy and quick for website visitors to find answers to their questions about our services.
Finally, another adaptation we have made is to put an emphasis on implementing work-based training programs for employers where we can augment and help them grow their business. We can help impact their bottom line by taking our job seekers and offering either paid work experience, on-the-job training, or incumbent worker training. All those programs are to assist employers in growing their business.
What is the direct benefit of those programs to employers?
We hope your readers will access the value calculators we recently installed on our website. There, employers can see exactly how much working with CareerSource Broward can add to their bottom line. In general, the extent to which we can assist depends on the size of the company. For example, if an employer participates in our internship program, it’s a savings for them of about $18,000 per intern. While we’re not giving the employer $18,000 directly, we are paying the salary of the individual participating in the program. That’s funding the employer did not need to provide, and they can use those savings to grow their business in other ways, while still getting the help that they need. That’s a good example of how we can assist a business.
What is your strategy to help employers get the best workforce advice?
We help employers navigate with skills-based qualifications for jobs as opposed to just a certain number of years of experience or a certain level of education. We are working directly with employers to make that shift by providing them with different types of assessments and screening job seekers so that when we make referrals to employers, they know they’re getting a qualified candidate.
As a result of AI and the labor shortages that we have been experiencing in Broward County, and as our economy continues to grow and diversify, our strategic focus has been about connecting employers and encouraging them to expand their recruitment efforts to include job seekers who sometimes may have had challenges securing employment. Because of tight unemployment, we encourage companies to look at those special populations such as older workers, individuals with disabilities, returning citizens and opportunity youth.
Helping employers navigate a tight labor market in a diversifying economy is an area where we have adapted our services. As a local workforce board, we need to stay close to the voice of the customer. On the employer side, we do that in a number of ways. We hold targeted industry forums for industries in Broward such as healthcare, marine, hospitality, manufacturing, and aviation, among others that are in high demand. We also bring community leaders together in those targeted industries to really talk about the challenges, what’s working, what’s not, and how we can help.
As a convener of workforce development, we bring stakeholders together. When you bring the right people — the employers, our educational partners, the Fort Lauderdale Alliance, which is the economic arm — to the table, we’re able to discuss critical workforce-related issues, develop strategies, and implement them.
CareerSource Broward’s Workforce Wednesday Employer Seminars offer valuable insights and resources tailored to the business community, helping employers stay informed about workforce trends, hiring best practices, and talent development strategies. These seminars bring together industry experts and business leaders to discuss topics such as labor market shifts, employee retention, and recruitment innovations. By attending, employers gain access to resources and tools that empower them to address workforce challenges effectively, strengthen their talent pipelines, and drive sustainable growth in a competitive job market.
CareerSource Broward’s labor market information services provide employers with essential insights into local employment trends, industry growth, and workforce availability. This information helps businesses make data-driven decisions for strategic planning, from identifying high-demand skills to setting competitive wages.
What is the strategy regarding partnerships?
CareerSource Broward’s strategy regarding partnerships focuses on collaboration with local organizations, particularly chambers of commerce, to engage employers within the community. By working closely with these chambers, CareerSource Broward is able to secure their support and enhance local workforce development initiatives.
One notable initiative is our “State of the Workforce” event at the Broward County Convention Center, which showcases partnerships with various chambers and highlights the importance of community engagement in workforce solutions.
Additionally, at this same event, CareerSource Broward collaborated with Broward County to address transportation challenges by creating specific bus routes for individuals from high-unemployment areas, providing free access to the event. This initiative, along with the involvement of a technical college, also brought buses of students nearing graduation to the event.
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