By Jay Meisel

meisel@hometownnewsol.com

ST. LUCIE COUNTY - In Port St. Lucie, Patrick Edwards was laid off in succession from two jobs and was facing financial challenges with his family.

"We ate through our savings," he said.

In Fort Pierce, Sharon Ann Ladrak searched for a job for eight months without much success.

"It was very difficult," she said. "There were not a lot of opportunities out there."

Both Mr. Edwards and Ms. Ladrak ended up with jobs this summer, thanks to the Florida Back to Work Program.

The program, administered through Workforce Solutions, an organization that helps people find jobs and employers find employees, offered companies the chance to hire additional workers. It would pay their salaries for six months with the idea that they would become permanent or long-term positions. Employers are responsible for paying any benefits and taxes during that period.

Odaly Victorio, communications coordinator for Workforce Solutions, said 29 businesses in St. Lucie County were approved to hire 62 employees.

The program did not allow for companies to hire people for seasonal work, she said.

There's no requirement that the company keep the employee past September, she said, but Workforce Solutions is hopeful that will be the case in most situations.

In Ms. Ladrak's case, Stone Realty hired her as an assistant.

Donna Benton, the owner of Stone Realty, said having Ms. Ladrak allows the office to be open regular hours.

It will allow the real estate agents to spend more time out in the field with buyers and sellers instead of in the office answering the telephone.

"We're hoping the agents will be able to do more out in the field and with the increased productivity, we will be able to maintain her on a permanent basis," Ms. Benton said.

Ms. Ladrak said before finding out about the Back to Work program she had found out about jobs through Workforce Solutions.

Generally, she would fax resumes, she said.

"There was very little response."

The job for her with Stone Realty worked out well because she had been a real estate manager, she said.

In Port St. Lucie, Mr. Edwards went to work for Microtech, which services computer networks.

"It has definitely stimulated my household," he said.

Bryan Gardner, owner of Microtech, said his business, like most others, was operating as lean as possible.

But, he said, they were getting steady business and "we've been running very thin on staff."

Employees had been working a lot of overtime because of that, he said.

The support from the Back to Work program allowed him to hire an additional employee and have that salary paid during the time he is receiving training.

"He's doing good," Mr. Gardner said of Mr. Edwards.

Mr. Edwards said he had reached the point where he was ready to accept any job.

But because of the Florida Back to Work program he got a job in his field.

"This is my dream job," he said.