Gov. DeSantis sends $10.5M for apprentice programs to state colleges

Ron DeSantis. Image via AP.

Eight state colleges, two K-12 school districts and one university will receive a combined $10.5 million to expand apprentice and pre-apprentice programs, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday.

“We are proud to invest in programs that make a difference for students and their employers,” DeSantis said in a prepared statement. “This $10.5 million will provide opportunities for an additional 4,200 students in the next year and will encourage more businesses to start their own apprenticeship programs to meet industry demands.”

The money will come through the Expansion of Registered Apprenticeship and Preapprenticeship (ERAP) grant program, designed to spur state colleges to start or expand apprentice programs. The programs are geared toward training students in industry standards for trade jobs.

Apprentice programs offered by the schools currently include training for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, electric vehicles, diesel mechanics, low voltage communications, construction and design, radiology and magnetic resonance imaging, according to DeSantis’ office.

“This funding provides critical opportunities to grow Florida’s highly-skilled workforce,” Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said.

Here’s how the grants will be allotted:

— Hillsborough Community College: $1,575,000

— Seminole State College: $1,506,879

— Tallahassee Community College: $1,500,000

— Palm-Beach State College: $1,223,600

— Hernando County School District: $1,173,900

— Palm Beach County School District: $1,057,434

— Pasco-Hernando State College: $956,346

— The University of Florida, College of Education: $603,461

— Santa Fe College: $568,860

— Pinellas Technical College: $276,220

— Miami-Dade College: $48,545

DeSantis has harped on technical and career education as an alternative to a traditional four-year university during his time in office and promoted programs such as ERAP focused on boosting those. In February, he promoted the use of $89 million for workforce education goals, including state colleges creating technical education charter schools.