Andrew Powell
Sen. Corey Simon has filed new legislation (SB 1094) that would help better prepare students for future careers.
In 2023, the Tallahassee Republican made significant strides in advocating for educational opportunities by broadening the Family Empowerment Program. This universal school choice initiative is now accessible to all families in Florida, irrespective of their income level. As a result, families can now decide whether to enroll their child in a public school or take advantage of funds provided through an education savings account.
His new bill would foster career planning opportunities for students, including a requirement to have these events scheduled at times and locations that maximize student access and participation.
Each high school would be required to host an annual career fair that offers students aged 16 and older in grades 11 and 12 the chance to meet with or interview with potential employers who provide paid work experiences, including apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships.
Students in middle school must successfully complete a course in career and education planning to help assist them in determining educational and career options and goals before moving into high school.
Additionally, the course must produce a completed personalized academic and career plan for the student. The plan must include graduation requirements, scholarship opportunities and information on earning college credits.
Starting from the moment a student enters high school, a student’s personalized academic and career plan would be required to be reviewed annually until they graduate.
This plan must further be revised when necessary to identify courses that the student needs to take each year until all required courses have been completed. After completion, it would need to be signed by the student, the student’s parent or legal guardian and a school counselor.
The bill sets forth guidelines for earning postsecondary credit and career education clock hours for training obtained during apprenticeships or pre-apprenticeships. The Board of Governors (BOG) and the State Board of Education (BOE) would adopt rules and regulations to facilitate students pursuing nontraditional pathways in earning a bachelor’s degree or certificate through these clock hours.
The regulations and rules would be required to include procedures for credential evaluation and the uniform award of postsecondary credit or career education clock hours, including equivalency and alignment of apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs with appropriate postsecondary courses and course descriptions.
The Articulation Coordinating Committee would be required to convene a workgroup by Sept. 1, to develop processes for awarding postsecondary credits and hours and provide recommendations to the BOG and the BOE by March 1, 2026.
The workgroup would consist of four members representing academic affairs administrators and faculty from state universities, appointed by the BOG. Additionally, four members from Florida College System institutions and four members representing faculty from career centers would be appointed by the BOE.
The Legislature would also appoint one member each to represent an apprenticeship sponsor, and the Director of the State Apprenticeship Advisory Council would complete the roster of the workgroup members.
Once processes, recommendations and plans from the workgroup are approved, state universities, Florida College System institutions and career centers would be required to award postsecondary credit for approved apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs.
If passed, the bill would come into effect July 1.
