CareerSource Palm Beach County veterans team wins top Florida awards

CareerSource Palm Beach County’s veterans team swept state honors at the Florida Veterans Workforce Summit in Orlando, adding to a recent national award for veteran service. The agency also announced its Paychecks for Patriots hiring event for Nov. 4 in West Palm Beach and named a new board chair.

Why it matters: - CareerSource Palm Beach County’s veterans staff is being recognized for helping veterans with barriers to employment move into the workforce. - The awards add momentum ahead of the agency’s largest veterans hiring event of the year. - The recognition also signals continued state and national attention on veteran employment services in Florida.

What happened: - CareerSource Palm Beach County’s veterans team won the State Veterans Team Award at the Florida Veterans Workforce Summit in Orlando, hosted by FloridaCommerce. - Team members also earned top individual honors, including Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program Specialist of the Year, Consolidated Veteran Position of the Year and Rookie of the Year. - The team also received the national Mark Sanders Award, the first time in 22 years Florida has been recognized for outstanding service to veterans with barriers to employment. - CareerSource Palm Beach County will host Paychecks for Patriots on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Majestic Ballroom at the Hilton West Palm Beach, 130 Australian Ave., West Palm Beach. - The hiring event is free and open to all job seekers in Palm Beach County. - More than 100 employers are confirmed for this year’s event. - Last year’s event had 73 employers, more than 670 job seekers and several on-the-spot job offers. - Job seekers can register in advance at Paychecks for Patriots registration. - CareerSource Palm Beach County named Alyssa Freeman, executive director of the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, chair of its board of directors. - Freeman succeeds Dave Markarian, whose chair term ran from October 2024 to October 2026. - Markarian will remain on the board and serve on the Executive Committee.

The details: - CareerSource Palm Beach County said its career consultants provide career guidance, job search and placement assistance, workshops, skills assessments, training opportunities and access to Employ Florida. - The organization said its services support job seekers at all career levels. - The agency said Freeman brings a strong commitment to its mission. - Julia Dattolo, president and CEO of CareerSource Palm Beach County, thanked Markarian for his leadership and said Freeman will lead the board in the years ahead.

Between the lines: - The award sweep suggests CareerSource Palm Beach County’s veterans program is becoming a statewide model. - The scale-up in employers for Paychecks for Patriots points to stronger demand from employers to hire veterans and other job seekers. - Freeman’s appointment keeps board leadership tied to local workforce and industry groups.

What's next: - CareerSource Palm Beach County will focus on staging Paychecks for Patriots and connecting veterans and other job seekers with employers on Nov. 4. - Freeman will begin leading the board as the agency builds on its recent state and national recognition. - The agency is expected to continue promoting workforce services through its website and community outreach.

The bottom line: - CareerSource Palm Beach County is turning award-winning veterans services into a recruiting push, with a bigger hiring event and new board leadership coming at the same time.