Our first in-person conference since 2019 is right around the corner. We are sure you are excited to show off your hard work and the incredible projects you have been working on since our last conference. Well, you will get your chance in a few short weeks. The 2022 Workforce Technology Conference is scheduled to take place October 3-6, 2022 at the Wyndham Grand Resort in Clearwater Beach.

The Workforce Technology Conference planning team has been working hard to compose an immersive and engaging agenda, tailored to reflect the day-to-day needs and challenges of current and prospective clients. Our conference is an opportunity to come face-to-face with the professionals with whom we work with everyday as well as a chance to recognize their hard work and accomplishments. Much of the new development to be showcased is driven either by feedback from our subject matter experts or enhancements that have been submitted directly from our clients.

If you have been called on to present, our conference planning team will be in contact with you over the next month and a half to collect deliverables.

We are currently registering attendees under the ‘Just-in-Time’ pricing tier of $730. After September 16th, registration will increase to $835. Please encourage your clients to register as soon as possible to take advantage of the lower price.

Feel free to reach out to Hallie Leverich-Purvis with any questions regarding the conference.

We want to give a great big shout-out to all the people who pitched in to restore systems during the downtime.

From rebuilding servers and assuring quality of software to bringing in food to reimaging laptops and conducting round-the-clock customer support, so many of you stepped out of your assigned roles to assist wherever it was needed.

Our restoration efforts were greatly enhanced by all of you. Thank you. You have made this company all that much better, just by being here and being your very generous and compassionate selves.

On Sunday, July 24, 50 employees and their guests were treated to a 3-2 victory from local minor league favorites, the Clearwater Threshers. Located eight miles south of Geographic Solutions’ headquarters, the Threshers are an affiliate of Major League baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Our colleagues enjoyed an action-packed game, an all-you-can-eat buffet, a visit from the Threshers’ mascot, Phinley, and best of all, camaraderie between colleagues.



There are so many fun and exciting ideas for upcoming experiences! Keep an eye out for the next company-sponsored Culture Crew event.

Between the suggestions from our creative colleagues to some really detailed Google searches, we’ve written a long list of interesting ideas. Take a moment to let us know what you think with these surveys. We’ll take it from there …

For Local, In-Person Events:

We’ve received a lot of suggestions for fun events to plan — so many we don’t even know where to begin! Take our survey to let us know what you have an interest in!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DQFCRNC

For Remote/Virtual Fun:

We have more than games to offer this time around! Whether you want to gather around the webcam for an art lesson or to cozy into the couch for a film, there’s more to experience with your out-of-town colleagues (but we still have games because, c’mon, who doesn’t love to win?)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9JRCK8J

On Tuesday, August 30, join us from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM for a panel discussion on Thriving in the Gig Economy. We’re joined by consultant and writer, Miguel Peromingo, techUK Policy Manager, Nimmi Patel, and University of Miami Herbert Business School Dean, John Quelch.

There are many nuances to the gig economy. Workers in these industries rely on flexible, temporary, or freelance jobs. A few gig jobs you may be familiar with are (but not limited to) Doordash, Fiverr, Uber, and Airbnb. And, the United Nations have included this type of work in their Sustainable Development Goals.

It’s projected that by 2027, the gig economy will make up 50.9 percent of the total U.S. workforce. The European Union estimates that the number of people working for digital platforms across the continent will grow from 28 million to 43 million by 2025. In a 2021 report from Adobe titled The Future of Time, their research showed that 51 percent of respondents favored complete flexibility in their work schedules. 

Don’t miss our August Pathways to Employment webinar as these experts talk about international employment trends. Click below to register. 

Each month, Geosol employees are encouraged to participate in a companywide challenge. This month's challenge encourages acts of kindness. 

August is when most schools return to session, and you can participate in this kindness challenge by helping teachers get ready for the new school year. 

Here's how you can help:

• Donate school supplies to a local school in your area
• Find an Amazon wish list and help a teacher stock their classroom
• Volunteer at a local school

Last year, you donated over $1,500 in supplies and countless hours volunteering. To participate this year, please send Ayana Merrills a receipt or picture showing the supplies purchased, or, if you donated time, please explain how you helped. Every employee who participates will receive a $25 Gift-o-Gram. Receipts and explanations must be sent in by August 22.  

Because there was no wellness initiative for July, it will not count against the full year participation prize. Additionally, you will not be able to use your company community service day for this event.

This week the Department of Labor celebrates the 85th Anniversary of the National Apprenticeship Act!

In recognition of this important milestone, the Office of Apprenticeship (OA) is kicking off the year-long celebration with several activities to commemorate the success of Registered Apprenticeship (RA) over the past 85 years in rebuilding our economy; providing access to good, quality jobs; advancing racial and gender equity; and supporting underserved communities! See below for information about the National Apprenticeship Act, new ApprenticeshipUSA Brand, The National Online Dialogue, Apprenticeship Ambassadors, National Apprenticeship Week, and more!

Geographic Solutions is proud to have its very own St. Petersburg College-affiliated Apprenticeship Program. Our immersive program allows apprentices to gain real-world experience as they align themselves to a career in tech.

It began as a smaller task which has now evolved into a new endeavor, and –possibly – a new product line offering for our company.

The Geographic Solutions Academy (GSA) is a way to build technical skills and subject matter expertise. For some, it’s an extension of new hire training. Top-tier training and onboarding helps build better workplaces.

“To be successful in software requires good subject matter knowledge and technical skills,” said Troy Deck, an architect on the UI Adjudication Team. “Most new developers have no workforce knowledge, and not all subject matter experts have strong software/data skills.”

That’s where GSA will come into play, acting as an extension of new-hire orientation. GSA’s first offering is Structured Query Language, or SQL.

“What makes this class unique is its practicality. Every lesson focuses solely on querying the VOS database, and every example can be utilized in real work situations,” said Deck.

Participants learn SQL and the idiosyncrasies of the VOS database at the same time. All examples demonstrated in the class can be practiced against any VOS client.

But that’s not where the GSA ends. There are plans in the works for several more classes, including relevant training for all teams and online learning opportunities.

Email Troy Deck for more information. 

On Thursday, September 1, from 5:00 – 6:00 PM EDT, join us for the next installment of Pinellas Tech Network as we host Presidio's Senior Director of Cloud Adoption, Jason Carter.

Attendees will learn about options available to consider when moving to the cloud, app modernization and approaches, and ways to leverage cloud capabilities to achieve their goals.

Jason is an IT professional with a varied background in IT operations, software development, and data management. He's passionate about architecting complex systems. His most recent focus has been on cloud management, security, containers, DevOPs and digital transformation in and around AWS cloud offerings.

RSVP here or by emailing Evan Brenner. 

Monday, September 5, is the federal holiday known as Labor Day. Established in 1882, Labor Day honors and recognizes the contributions of the American worker. You can read a brief history of Labor Day in September’s Insights & Perspectives blog. Watch for it to drop at the beginning of the month.

Labor Day is considered the “unofficial end of summer” because school and fall activities start to begin around this time. Typically celebrated with local parades, barbeques, and big sales at retail stores, Labor Day weekend is one of the last weekends for summer activities. With this three-day weekend just around the corner, we want to know how you plan on spending it! Do you have a vacation planned? Are you having a party? Or, are you going shopping to score an amazing deal?

Let’s meet in Paylocity Communities to share Labor Day traditions! 

On September 16th, Geographic Solutions will host our second in-person town hall of the year for all employees.

During this meeting, we will hear the latest happenings, answer burning questions from GSI staff, and recognize outstanding individual achievements by way of the Star Award.

Managers nominate team members based on achievement, attitude, attendance, and overall contribution to the company during the most recent quarter. Star Award recipients are awarded a certificate, a gift card, and a polo shirt.

If you are unable to join the call, all details from the meeting will be posted on SharePoint's HR page, including the questions (and answers) addressed during the meeting.

We are so excited to greet the following new hires and welcome back a few familiar faces. Here, we recognize those individuals as they begin or continue their journey with Geographic Solutions. Welcome to the team!