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“Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership and in partnership with entities across the state, we continue to make critical investments in CTE and Apprenticeship programs,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “And as a result Florida’s employers are reporting that in just the last three years they are significantly more likely to fill vacancies with Florida-based talent, talent that increasingly does not require additional training.”
At a time when meeting employment demand is critical, workforce programs are in place to ensure students are equipped with the skills they need to enter or advance in the job market successfully. CTE programs allow individuals of all circumstances to upskill and elevate their career opportunities with little to no barriers to enrolling or completing. They can enter a program, move through quickly and join the workforce on an accelerated path to success.
In 2019, Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 19-31 to chart a course for Florida to become number one in the nation for workforce education. The Order requires an annual audit of all CTE programs in Florida and ensures resources are strategically utilized and aligned to the actual needs of employers throughout Florida. These audits have resulted in phasing out over 500 programs that no longer align to employers’ needs and refocus higher education and job training programs on pathways to high-wage, high-demand professions.
Beginning in the summer of 2020, under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the Florida Department of Education focused on advancing rapid credentialing in high-skill, high-wage occupations, awarding over 18,000 industry certifications or certificates to underemployed or unemployed COVID-19 impacted workers in less than a year, thanks to the Governor’s $35 million investment in Florida’s Rapid Credentialing Grant Program.
In 2020-2021, Florida College System students completed nearly 38,000 rapid credentials, up from approximately 35,000 in 2018-19, over a 7% increase. Additionally, Florida College System institutions continue to work collaboratively with Florida’s 48 technical colleges to build better and more accelerated pathways to credential completion.
Following the 2021 Legislative Session, Governor DeSantis signed into law a transformative workforce education bill, House Bill (HB) 1507, the “Reimagining Education and Career Help Act” to facilitate alignment and coordination of the state’s workforce development system, including the creation of the new $35 million Open Door Workforce Grant Program. HB 1507 also supports greater partnership amongst Florida’s workforce agencies: the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida Department of Education, CareerSource, the State University System’s Board of Governors and the Department of Children and Families.
This fiscal year, Governor DeSantis has also invested over $30 million from the Job Growth Grant Fund to expand training in critical logistics, commercial vehicle driving programs, nursing programs and other high-demand professions to meet immediate supply chain and workforce needs.
For more information about the Florida Department of Education, visit www.fldoe.org.