CareerSource Polk Youth Participants Lead 2025 Annual Meeting and Best Places to Work Awards
  careersourcepolk.com CareerSource Polk Youth Participants Lead 2025 Annual Meeting and Best Places to Work AwardsLAKELAND, FL. (August 21, 2025) – CareerSource Polk celebrated workforce excellence in Polk County by recognizing outstanding community partners, individuals, and businesses. This year’s Annual Meeting carried the theme "T.A.K.E.N.," highlighting how generations are Together Aligning Knowledge, Experience, and New thinking to create meaningful change.
POLK COUNTY’S EDUCATION AND POLK COUNTY’S EDUCATION AND HEALTH SERVICES SECTOR GREW FASTER HEALTH
According to the Florida Department of Commerce, Bureau of Labor Market Statistics: The unemployment rate in the CareerSource Polk region was 5% in July 2025. This rate was 0.2% point greater than the region’s year ago rate of 4.8%. The region’s July 2025 unemployment rate was 0.9% points above the state rate of 4.1%. The labor force was 362,120, up 2,899 (+0.8%) over the year. There were 18,239 unemployed residents in the Polk County region.
2025 Grant Awarded to Webber International University by GiveWell Community Foundation
Babson Park, FL. July 28, 2025- Webber International University has been awarded a $20,000 Impact Polk grant from the George W. Jenkins Fund within GiveWell Community Foundation to support its Skilled Workforce Training Scholarship Program. This funding will expand access to short-term certificate programs and accredited bachelor’s degrees in healthcare and information technology—fields identified as high-demand by Polk Vision and CareerSource Polk’s 2023–2024 Regional Demand Occupations List. The