Scott Powers
School guidance counselors would be required to include advice on training and career options in the trades under bills filed this week by Sen. Randolph Bracy and Rep. Kristen Arrington.
Senate Bill 400, from the Orlando Democrat, and House Bill 229 from the Kissimmee Democrat, filed Monday, seek to stress vocational schools and trades careers as vital options that guidance counselors must present to students and their families.
“Students deserve to know about the practical skills demanded in the labor market and the opportunities that exist to gain them. This legislation aims to create a stronger link between education and work readiness. While society often pressures high school students to pursue traditional, four-year universities, this bill opens more doors and creates more choice to a fulfilling career,” Bracy said in a news release.
The bills call for counselors to provide information on “career and professional academies, career-themed courses, the career and technical education pathway to earn a standard high school diploma,” and “work-based learning opportunities, including internships and apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.”
Aren’t guidance counselors already doing that as part of their routines? Not necessarily, Arrington said.
She noted that her HD 43, as an example, has two campuses of Valencia College, two campuses of Osceola Tech, an adult learning center, and Valencia’s manufacturing training center at the Osceola County’s Advanced Manufacturing Center. There are a lot of varied options.
“Osceola County had the highest unemployment rate in the state during the first summer of the pandemic when we saw our workforce affected by their dependency on hospitality jobs,” she noted. “We need our students to know of the many opportunities close to home, which isn’t a given in a county like Osceola — that is the largest growing county from the census, and folks moving here daily with students that are unaware of career and technical pathways that aren’t the traditional educations their parents were offered.”
Similar bills were introduced last year. The House bill moved through some committees, but the Senate bill stalled.
The bills also would require that information about vocational education and trades careers be offered to students and their parents “in a language that is understandable to” both.
That’s a recognition in part of the large multilanguage migrant and immigrant populations in both Bracy’s Senate District 11 in western Orange County and Arrington’s House District 43 in northwestern Osceola County — as well as in many other parts of Florida.
“This is very important in areas like mine, where we see multi-generational families living in the same household speaking multi(ple) languages,” Arrington said. “Osceola has a huge Hispanic population and during times like hurricane Maria, we saw many folks move to the area from Puerto Rico to live with their family members and friends. We want students and parents to truly understand they have opportunities available to them for their future and career path.”
