Kevin Money is a respiratory therapist who's looking for full-time work.
Shamika Walker, who works in the clerical field, has been told she has a great resume. But the mother of three has been out of a job for two years.
“It's been very much a hard struggle to find a job,” Walker said.
Walker and Money watched the State of the Union Address on Tuesday as President Obama honed in on jobs and on the economy.
“Join me in a national commitment to train two million Americans with skills that will lead directly to a job,” Obama said.
Walker, who volunteers at WorkForce One in Broward County, agreed that training is important.
“There are so many positions for job openings but people don't have the skills,” Walker said.
The president also had a message for business leaders: “Tonight, my message to business leaders is simple: Ask yourselves what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed,” he said.
Money said, while his line of work hasn’t been threatened by outsourcing, he knows the ripple-effect has hurt him.
“He's right on point. He's trying to bring jobs back to America. If Americans are making money, and when they get sick they'll go to the hospital. And then I'll get paid as well,” Money said.
Tuesday’s speech in front of a joint session of Congress was as much about policy as it was about getting re-elected.
Mr. Obama's Republican rivals have labeled him a job killer and out of touch.
In Tampa, Mitt Romney predicted the president would gloss over the hard numbers, like Florida's 9.9 percent unemployment rate.
He was partly right; the speech was mostly a feel-good.
But Democrats argue, under Obama's lead, more than two million private sector jobs have been added. And Florida's jobless rate has slowly improved.
Walker and Money said that gives them hope. For them, providing for their families is a priority.
“My hope for myself is to get a good-paying job. Not just a job but a career so I can raise my family and take care of my responsibilities,” Walker said.