WHAT IS THE
TAMPA BAY BUSINESS LEADERSHIP NETWORK (BLN)?

       Composed of volunteers from area businesses, the Tampa Bay BLN offers leadership by example and a supportive employer-to-employer network aimed at promoting the employment of qualified people who just happen to have disabilities. The BLN can help your business learn more about hiring people with disabilities through training and technical assistance, and make it easier for you to recruit, hire, train, and retain employees with disabilities.
 
       There are 43 Business Leadership Networks in 32 states. The Tampa Bay BLN will be one of 12 successful BLNs currently operating in the state of Florida. 
      

       Funding for the BLNs is provided by the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities. The BLNs are affiliated with The Able Trust, the United States BLN and organized by Wilson Resources, Inc.

Mission Statement

The Tampa Bay Business Leadership Network missions is to educate and encourage employers to recruit, hire, train and retain employees with disabilities as part of promoting good business practices

The Bottom Line...

         A diverse workforce is vital to business success. Approximately one in five Americans has a disability. By employing people with disabilities, employers can effectively position themselves to develop products and services that are more likely to sell to a diverse customer base, resulting in a significant increase in long term profits.

  THE FACTS:

• According to Census 2000, 49.7 million people (19.3% of the population) have some level of disability
• In Florida the estimate is 22% of the population
• People with disabilities represent America's largest minority group, but only 32% of American's with disabilities ages 18-64 are employed
• More than two-thirds of those who are unemployed would rather be working
• U.S. employers will face a shortage of 10,000,000 workers by 2010, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Workers with disabilities have higher than average retention rates and company loyalty
   

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