2001

January 2001 – US Department of Labor regional staff from Atlanta visit Polk’s One-Stop Career Centers. They announce that Polk is the only region they have visited in the Southeast with all required elements in place.

March 2001 – The Polk County School Board and Workforce Development Board being hosting a series of three summits to address youth employment and education issues. The Workforce Board enters into a partnership with the Tampa Bay Regional Workforce Boards to develop customized labor market information.

April 2001 – The Workforce Development Board awards a contract to Lockheed Martin IMS for three more years of quality customer services.Chair Tom Clark establishes a Social Entrepreneur committee to explore revenue generation opportunities.

July 2001 – Tom Clark is reappointed as the Board’s Chair.

July 2001 –The Board receives a competitive USDOL Sectoral Planning Grant and begins analyzing employment within the health care industry sector.

August 2001 – At its annual meeting, the Workforce Development Board unveils the new logo and brand name, “Polk Works”. Polk County is recognized as one of the top four performing regions in the State. Lockheed Martin IMS is purchased by ACS, State and Local Solutions. The Board assigns its contracts to the new company.

October 2001 – Polk Works Executive Director, Nancy Thompson, is tapped by the state workforce board (WFI) to spend 6 months in Miami providing technical assistance. The Board receives a $354,000 IT training grant from WFI to operate in partnership with Polk Community College.