JAXUSA Partnership (FL) – Talent Study
Challenge
Situated along Florida’s Atlantic coast, the Northeast Florida region spans seven counties which are home to diverse communities, extensive outdoor amenities, and an appealing mix of rural and urban living. This region plays a pivotal role in the state’s economy. Its strategic location, with coastal access and major highway connections, positions it as a prime area for key industries, including transportation and logistics. However, as more workers retire and employment gaps expand, the pressure mounts to meet the talent demands of the region’s transportation and logistics (T&L) sector. Addressing these gaps will be key to supporting the region’s continued success.
Response
The JAXUSA Partnership engaged TIP Strategies in late 2023 to conduct a talent study that tackles the unique workforce challenges of the T&L industry in Northeast Florida. To paint a comprehensive picture of the industry’s occupational and training needs, TIP conducted a quantitative analysis of the regional labor market and education infrastructure and examined the T&L sector via five subsectors: air, maritime/port, rail, road, and shipping and warehousing. This dual approach allowed TIP to identify trends surrounding in-demand jobs, workforce participation, and education-industry alignment to inform a synchronized talent ecosystem. The data analysis was validated by an in-depth stakeholder engagement process, with one-on-one interviews and roundtables illuminating key themes shared across regional industry leadership. Taken together, these quantitative and qualitative pieces served as the foundation for recommendations to bolster Northeast Florida’s T&L workforce pipeline by building career awareness, strengthening organizational supports, and enhancing training opportunities in the sector. Along with these recommendations, TIP pinpointed 10 T&L occupations that were deemed high-demand middle-skill careers with strong projected job outlook, such as truck drivers and inventory clerks. These occupational profiles provided critical information for workers, training institutions, and employers to understand demographic trends, wage prospects, postsecondary education needs, and opportunities for upward mobility in the T&L industry. With these tools, the JAXUSA Partnership was poised to serve as a strong regional partner, helping align training infrastructure with current and future talent needs in one of Northeast Florida’s essential industries.