Workforce Central Florida Ends Program That Gave Superhero Capes To Jobless

A workforce agency in central Florida has ended a campaign to give superhero capes to the unemployed. Since its launch last week, the "Cape-A-Bility Challenge" faced intense media skepticism and an investigation from the statewide Agency for Workforce Innovation, which apparently considered the program a bit too innovative.

In a Wednesday press release, Workforce Central Florida, which has multiple offices in and around Orlando, announced that it has "listened to the public" and will withdraw it's "admittedly out-of-the-box creative campaign."

"Even though it seemed to offend some, it was the farthest thing from our intention which was to introduce our programs and services to job seekers and employers who need them," the release said. "The decision was made today by our board leadership team in concern that the campaign may have been a little too out-of-the-box and missed the mark with such a broad audience."

The Associated Press reported that the job center spent more than $14,000 on 6,000 red capes as part of the campaign, which encouraged the unemployed to vanquish "Dr. Evil Unemployment," a cartoon villain brandishing a pink slip.

Cynthia Lorenzo, director of the state's unemployment agency, reportedly called the spending "insensitive and wasteful."

The campaign included several photos, a comic strip, and a video on the central Florida agency's website.

The agency said the program had not been all bad news: "Fortunately, we’ve achieved some success in the short week-and-a-half the campaign has run, including new job postings online, new job candidates registered for services and an increase in usage of our website," the release said.

Dr. Evil Unemployment remains at large: The unemployment rate in Florida stands at 11.1 percent, according to Labor Department data released Tuesday.

Here's a picture of the supervillain facing off with a Florida worker:

HuffPost readers: Did you, or did someone you know, participate in the Cape-A-Bility Challenge? PLEASE tell us about it -- email [e-mail].

Comments

[Eileen Schulte]

06:40 PM on 04/22/2011

Sadly, people like these half-baked dolts who came up with "Vanquish Dr. Evil Unemployme­nt" and were stupid enough to spend $14,000 on such a ridiculous campaign are cartoon characters themselves. But sadly, they will end up being promoted, not join the ranks of the unemployed like they should. It happens all the time in American government. The United States rewards corrupt and idiotic behavior. That's part of why this country is going downhill fast.

[thepostalfeminist]

08:03 AM on 04/22/2011

Where do these people come from? "Vanquish Dr. Evil Unemployment"! I am suffering from a brain freeze right now, the only words I can think of have only four letters and should not be used here! Who thought of this? Worse still, who approved the expenditure of $14,000 on red capes for people desperate for a job. All I can say is: There are a few more people that should be looking for a job and they all work on Florida's Cape-Ability Project.

[Travis Peters]

10:44 PM on 04/21/2011

Awesome open letter to WCF. http://bit.ly/fJRGaJ

[sunbeltvoter]

02:38 PM on 04/21/2011

Jimmy Kimmel featured these capes in his monologue last night. Way to go Workforce Central Florida, you are now a national joke.

[PJ M]

02:20 PM on 04/21/2011

Save A Few ----- Rick Scott, LaMoo, Marco Rubio and John Micha all deserve one ....

[zumajim]

01:40 PM on 04/21/2011

Well you do have to admit those capes are stylish...

All kidding aside, just when you think Florida is the most inept state in the union, they go and lower the bar again. If this had occurred in any other red state, I would assume it was done as a mocking, spiteful gesture towards the unemployed. At least it was good-hearted stupidity.

[sunbeltvoter]

02:27 PM on 04/21/2011

Perhaps the far south east state is trying to race to the bottom to beat the far north west state?

[Shogun1x]

12:56 PM on 04/21/2011

Is this serious?

[Ralph Perman]

12:47 PM on 04/21/2011

As a Floridian, I hate being made fun of.
But the way this current Administration is acting. It's well deserved.
The worst part is that the ones that have brought this on, are not embarrassed. For the most part they don't even understand what they have done wrong!
My State needs Mental Health intervention and counseling!

[Eileen Schulte]

06:43 PM on 04/22/2011

As a fellow Floridian, I agree! Fanned/faved.

[lovbug]

11:56 AM on 04/21/2011

Wast of taxpayers money and people still don't have jobs. sad.

[lovbug]

11:55 AM on 04/21/2011

How about having workforce centers that actually find jobs to match and place people. These job centers are a waste of govt. money. They don't help people to find jobs. They people that work at these centers and getting paid with taxpayers money are incompentent and unqualified for those jobs and all they do is post jobs and give bad advice, which you can do for yourself. The state govts. are a big waste basket.

[Ted Bouklos]

02:21 PM on 04/21/2011

please provide sources and statistics that show that this program is unsuccessful. Unless you just "feel" like it's not working because of "something someone told you" in which case you are not qualified to make such assessment

[lovbug]

05:15 PM on 04/21/2011

My nephew experienced it and I saw it for myself because my son and I were helping him. It's a sad case out there. Now I now why people can't find jobs. The states are doing nothing. They take the Fed money and skim off the top and have nothing left to do anything but pring jobs off the internet and post them in the employment office. Then they hire people to help that can't speak good english.

[Archangel 2020]

08:17 AM on 04/22/2011

Are you really serious???

[Archangel 2020]

08:23 AM on 04/22/2011

I totally agree!!! Yoy definitely hit the nail on the head!

[Cthulhu On Call]

11:48 AM on 04/21/2011

They probably would've benefited from having a sane person in the meeting where they came up with that one.

"And so... we could, like, give them all capes!"

"Dude, that's the stupidest thing I ever heard, and I'll hit you if you come up with one more thing like that."

[phapnui]

11:34 AM on 04/21/2011

What's next? Free codpieces for the unemployed??!!

[Graywolf48]

10:59 AM on 04/21/2011

Just more proof that America is stark raving mad. Comic books and capes, what a concept. It would be funny if it was not so sad.

[WoodsideCraig]

10:49 AM on 04/21/2011

Why all the fuss over the cheap swag? Money must be spent on advertising to be successful. Promotion is a necessary part of these undertakings and this idea has gotten the program more publicity than anything else they could have done.

It may be dorky, but it worked. Kudos to the people who thought this up.

[Archangel 2020]

08:24 AM on 04/22/2011

REALLY???!!!

[mairs]

10:19 AM on 04/21/2011

$14,000 for the opportunity to condescendingly treat the unemployed like children? The hit to Workforce Central's reputation.... priceless.