Florida’s Great Northwest (FGNW) has introduced a new marketing campaign titled “Military Talent: Mission-Ready Veterans, Business-Ready Results.” The campaign centers on findings from a University of West Florida Haas Center study, which highlights the skills and availability of military personnel transitioning into civilian life in Northwest Florida.
The study’s data is now available through FGNW’s Military Talent Dashboard, which is designed to support economic development and recruitment efforts across the region. This initiative was funded by a Defense Reinvestment Grant from FloridaCommerce.
According to the study, an average of 5,200 service members leave military installations in Northwest Florida each year. Nearly 60% of these individuals hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Additionally, more than 47% plan to remain in the area after leaving service, while 19% are undecided about their future location.
Jennifer Conoley, President & CEO of Florida’s Great Northwest, said, “This data is a game-changer, allowing us to powerfully describe this pool of pre-trained, disciplined, untapped talent pipeline to companies in our target industry sectors. The Military Talent Dashboard underscores Northwest Florida’s strategic advantage as a place where employers have access to highly-skilled professionals who are ready for their next career.”
Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly added, "I want to commend Florida’s Great Northwest for launching this campaign, a campaign laser-focused on unlocking opportunity for our veterans and for our economy. Northwest Florida has long been a center of defense excellence, supporting our heroes and their families, and FloridaCommerce was grateful to have supported this endeavor with a Defense Reinvestment Grant to seed the necessary research for this campaign to recruit and retain our military expertise in the civilian workforce.”
The dashboard provides essential information that supports business attraction and expansion activities throughout the 13-county region represented by FGNW. Over the past five years, FGNW's lead generation efforts have resulted in more than 1,400 announced high-skill jobs.
Nicole Gislason, Executive Director of the University of West Florida Haas Center stated: “The UWF Haas Center was proud to support FGNW on this important mission of promoting Northwest Florida’s hidden talent pipeline. This is a strategic win for both our economy and our communities, leveraging regional military separation data to support economic growth.”
More details about the dashboard and campaign can be found at www.FGNWTalent.com.