Gov. Ron DeSantis is all-in on charter schools, and a Senate bill contemplates increasing their roles in workforce training.
SB 130, sponsored by Sen. Travis Hutson, would cede job-growth grant fund money to “certain” charter schools.
Much focus has been on the infrastructure created by the fund, solely administered at the discretion of the executive branch.
The Hutson legislation, however, focuses on the workforce training piece. The fund would go solely to charters that offer the Career and Technical Education pathway.
Back in June, Hutson told Florida Politics he envisioned just this scenario.
Career technical education (CTE) charter schools could emerge, as Tallahassee seeks further guidance in aligning education to the needs of employers.
A continuing frustration with companies requiring skilled labor, as multiple participants at the Florida Chamber of Commerce Military and Veterans Summit said this week: there often aren’t enough skilled workers for the jobs.
Space Florida head Frank DiBello said that a recurrent pressure in aerospace was finding skilled workers in Florida.
“They get their employees from other companies,” DiBello contended. “They have to interview seven times as many as they hire.”
One solution: Creating feeder programs in educational institutions, including trade schools and colleges.
The Hutson proposal, which builds on reform and expansion of workforce training passed in 2019, would facilitate an option for earlier training in a charter setting.
Workforce education, related Hutson in June, will be of use as areas like his St. Johns County grow.
In addition to construction and public safety, Hutson notes that a school in his district (Pedro Menendez High School) offers a nursing program that allows students to work in the field once they graduate high school.
