Department of Education Announces Nearly $600,000 Awarded to Registered Apprenticeship Programs
June 24, 2021
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Department of Education Announces Nearly $600,000 Awarded to Registered Apprenticeship Programs
Tallahassee, Fla., June 24, 2021 – Today, the Florida Department of Education announced nearly $600,000 in funding has been awarded to Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) in Florida through a partnership with the Florida Association for Career and Technical Education and CareerSource Florida. These awards will expand apprenticeship programs, fortify talent pipelines and help drive economic development across the Sunshine State.
“I am excited about Governor DeSantis’ commitment to workforce education, knowing there is an increased demand for skills training across our state,” said Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran. “These federal grant dollars are not only designed to help Florida’s small businesses maintain and grow their talent, but also are meant to support underrepresented and minority residents’ access to the necessary training and education for upward mobility. Together, we will meet the Governor’s goal of becoming the number one state in the nation in terms of workforce education by 2030.”
The federally funded Apprenticeship State Expansion Grant consists of two mini-grants designed to support apprenticeship program growth and expansion. These mini-grant programs support Governor Ron DeSantis’s vision to help Florida become the number one state in the nation in workforce education by 2030. Additional mini-grant funding will be made available through a second round of applications to be released in late summer 2021.
With a focus on capacity building and outreach to underrepresented populations, the first mini-grant awards include a total of $236,000 to the following RAPs:
- AmSkills Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
- Automation and Maintenance Professional Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
- City of Tallahassee Utilities Apprenticeship Program, INJ ($20,000)
- Florida Gulf Coast Chapter ABC, Inc., GNJ ($20,000)
- FNGLA Nursery & Landscape Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
- Lake Sumter State College Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
- Learning Alliance Corporation Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
- Lorenzo Walker Technical College Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
- Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MIASF) Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
- Northwest Florida State College Apprenticeship Program ($16,000)
- St. Petersburg College Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
- TruMont Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($20,000)
The second mini-grant is designed to remove barriers apprentices may face to persist and complete their training. A total of $358,217 has been awarded to the following RAPs:
- Central Florida Child Care Educators Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($8,395)
- iBuild Carpentry Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($5,600)
- Independent Electrical Contractors – FECC, Inc. ($84,700)
- Learning Alliance Corporation Apprenticeship, GNJ ($4,900)
- Lorenzo Walker Technical College Apprenticeship Program ($11,200)
- Macca Manasota A/C Contractors Association, GNJ ($23,399)
- Plumbing Contractors Association Apprenticeship Program, Inc., GNJ ($16,100)
- Plumbing Industry Professional Education, GNJ ($67,200)
- St. Petersburg College Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($5,600)
- Technical Education Council, LLC ($67,200)
- The College of the Florida Keys Apprenticeship Program, GNJ ($1,950)
- TruMont Apprenticeship Program ($61,973)
Also today, Governor Ron DeSantis signed three bills to improve workforce education in Florida and expand high-quality college and career pathways for Floridians. By creating a “no-wrong-door” strategy for all public workforce training programs, Florida will expand postsecondary and career pathways that lead directly to high-wage, high-demand jobs.
Highlights of the bills signed today:
Senate Bill 52: Postsecondary Education
- Creates the Dual Enrollment Scholarship Program, with a $15.5 million appropriation, to close gaps for high school students who struggled to access dual enrollment opportunities year-round at Florida’s state colleges and universities.
Senate Bill 366: Educational Opportunities Leading to Employment
- Incentivizes businesses to hire students as employees by providing workers comp through the school they are attending.
- Creates math pathways that align all of Florida’s postsecondary institutions for the benefit of students who are pursuing STEM careers.
- Expands Florida Private Student Assistance Program grant award to full-time certificate-seeking students at an aviation maintenance school.
House Bill 1507: Workforce Related Programs and Services
- Creates a “no-wrong-door” strategy, where Floridians can access services from any workforce partner.
- Requires Florida’s workforce agencies, Florida Department of Education, Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, and CareerSource to collaborate with business and industry to create a state-approved list of credentials so that Florida will always align workforce training with workforce demands.
- It also creates the Open Door Workforce Grant Program, with a $35 million appropriation, to support high-demand programs