Interview: Carol Hylton, President CEO, CareerSource Broward

Job focus

The landscape for recruitment has shifted, with new paradigms and programs

What role did CareerSource Broward play during the course of the pandemic? CareerSource Broward and its Council of Elected Officials and its private sector board kept its doors open throughout the pandemic providing both on-site and virtual assistance to both employers and job seekers. Through Prosperity Broward, we also reached out to individuals in our critical zip codes offering rapid credentialing and training along with the tools to be able to participate virtually to upgrade their skills during a time when many businesses were closed. We also received funds from the state and engaged temporary workers affected by the pandemic to assist business and governmental agencies so they could remain open.

How have you seen companies’ needs shift in terms of what they are looking for in prospective employees?

Carol Hylton

President & CEO – CareerSource Broward

Businesses are anxious to bring back their employees and to fill their vacancies. They want to return to the vibrant economy that we had prior to the pandemic. Now that employers have seen that some of their jobs can be performed remotely, they are expanding their recruitment areas outside of their immediate geographical location and are finding creative ways to recruit, such as offering incentives and perks.

How important is the Summer Youth Employment Program in preparing the next-generation workforce? CareerSource Broward’s Summer Youth Employment Program is a chance for the local business community to mentor youth who are eager to work during the summer. For many years CareerSource Broward received federal funds to operate a summer youth program that put money in the pockets of youth and their households. It stemmed learning loss and provided valuable employability skills. When the federal government or the Congress decided to no longer fund the program, Children’s Services Council stepped in. It has been funding us for over 15 years to be able to continue serving our youth. We continue to hear from employers throughout Broward County that having access to reliable talent is important. This program gives participating youth the opportunity to learn key soft skills, such as communication and teamwork, as well as workplace etiquette – all things that are needed in today’s job market.

What are your top priorities for CareerSource Broward? CareerSource Broward is focused on helping employers fill their vacancies as our economy rebounds. We’re going to be working with our educational partners, business organizations, and employers to ensure we have the skilled and trained workforce to place individuals into the jobs that will be available.

Peggy Nordeen

CEO – Starmark International

We are excited about the potential rush of new businesses headquartering here. We are looking forward to more and bigger companies setting up shop in Fort Lauderdale. When Starmark relocated here in 1998, it was an interesting time because technology was just starting up in the area but it was not a world of headquartered companies here. The Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance has done a wonderful job of turning the city into a headquarter destination well before this coming gold rush that we are going to see from the Northeast and from Chicago. Those places are going to have to rethink their tax situation because that is one of the main reasons, added to the weather, that companies are relocating here.

( ) facility. And in January, the Community Foundation of Broward announced a $1 million BE BOLD prize aimed to get residents back to work, particularly those in communities of color.

The active residential real estate market has also helped the county weather the pandemic storm. Broward County’s total home sales jumped over 26% year-on-year in December to a total of 3,413. Singlefamily homes and existing condos sustained the increase, posting year-on-year gains of 24.5% and 28.5%, respectively. Supply of single-family homes reached just 2.1 months in the county and single-family homes stayed on the market just 65 days compared with 86 days in 2019, also helping to push up prices. Across the county, luxury single-family home sales of $1 million and up rose 66% in December while existing luxury condos increased over 85% on the year. The average commitment rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reached just 2.68% in December, down from the 2020 average of 3.11%.

In terms of commercial real estate, the fourth quarter saw more than 500,000 square feet of office space delivered in the single-largest quarter for deliveries since 2001. According to CBRE, tenants are starting to return to office buildings and activity is expected to continue to increase into the second half of 2021. In the industrial segment, deliveries exceeded 400,000 square feet, with the most notable inaugurations including the Davie Business Center’s Building F and the Rock Lake Business Center’s Buildings D and B. Land scarcity in the county is yet another factor pushing prices up, says CBRE, with the average price paid now around $33.35 per square foot. Amazon also provided a boost to South Florida’s industrial real estate sector, leasing about 3 million square feet over the course of the year.

Demographic shifts Broward is the second-largest county in Florida after Miami-Dade and its growing population is poised to be one of the strongest growth drivers to 2030. In 2015, Broward’s population was estimated at around 1.8 million, and according to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, it was expected to increase to 1.93 million by 2030. However, estimates now show that this number has been exceeded 11 years early, with a population as of 2019 of 1.95 million. According to Freddie Mac research, the population grew faster in the South and the West than in the Northeast and Midwest. One of the biggest changes brought about by COVID was the exodus from ( )