Drew Wilson
The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Learners to Earners Workforce Solution Summit kicks off at 9 a.m. in Orlando.
The event will focus on the education and workforce development needs of Florida and the work that can be done from cradle to career to ensure workers are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
Notably, the 2021 edition of the Summit is the Chamber Foundation’s since it launched the Florida Equality of Opportunity Initiative, a united front for the organization’s efforts to combat poverty, improve educational outcomes and boost workplace diversity and inclusion
Florida Chamber of Commerce President Mark Wilson and Kyle Baltich, who is helming the initiative, will open the summit. Florida Chamber Foundation Chief Economist Dr. Jerry Parrish will follow with a preview of new research on the state’s future workforce needs.
The agenda that follows is jam-packed with policymakers and thought leaders in education, who will provide a comprehensive look of how the Sunshine State can build a workforce able to adapt to those needs, whatever they may be.
Topics on the agenda include a look into early learning in the Sunshine State, the changing landscape of middle and high school, the pathways for students entering higher education, adult education and re-entry opportunities.
Speakers will include Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch, Lottery Secretary John Davis, Florida Gulf Coast University President Michael Martin, Office of Early Learning Executive Director Shan Goff and Florida Department of Education Chancellor Henry Mack. Also
House Early Learning & Elementary Education Subcommittee Chair Vance Aloupis, a stalwart advocate for early education, will bring it home in a discussion with Children’s Movement of Florida President Madeleine Thakur titled “Where do we go from here? Policy that aids education.”
A full agenda and registration information are available online.
