Students and faculty throughout the Gadsden County School District and Gadsden Technical College in Quincy will join others across the nation during the month of February to celebrate Career and Technical Education Month.
Career and Technical Education Month is recognized to celebrate and highlight the value of Career and Technical Education and the achievements and accomplishments of Career and Technical Education programs across Florida.
“In partnership with the Florida Department of Education, over the next month, we are highlighting the rigor, relevance and success of the CTE courses we offer,” Thomas Saxton, Director of Gadsden Technical College said. “We know the impact these programs have on our economy, and we will continue collaborating with local and state leaders, businesses and industry partners to provide our students with the latest technology and skills that will prepare them to become successful employees and future leaders.”
According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida will be home to 26 million residents with one of the most diverse populations in the United States by 2030.
Now, the third most populous state in the nation and home to the 16th largest economy in the world.
Florida needs to create 1.63 million net new jobs by 2030. That number includes the types of occupations that are currently in-demand and will be in the future, including many jobs that are
experiencing significant shortages of skilled workers.
In 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis set a goal of making Florida the number one state in the nation for workforce education by 2030.
According to the Florida Department of Education, last year, a record $579 million was invested to support workforce education programs.
Florida has now invested more than $5 billion in workforce education since the 2018-2019 school year.
Career Technical Education has likewise been made a priority by local and state elected officials, with many of them working together to secure funding for Gadsden Tech.
As teachers prepare Career Technical Education students for their future careers as skilled professionals, students engage in hands-on learning with real life applications.
These approaches to teaching are linked to greater understanding, comprehension, and retention.
Gadsden Tech’s Career and Technical Education Coordinator Angela Grant Sapp said Career Technical Education offers a way for students to gain skills and earn certifications in some of Florida’s most critical and desirable industries.
“Unlike traditional higher education, Career Technical Education programs can set individuals on the right path in less time with less cost,” said Grant Sapp. “That means they can get into a career today without the worry of debt tomorrow.”
Last year, the Florida Department of Education released a statement that says there are nearly 800,000 K-12 Career Technical Education students – the highest in the state’s history – more than 380,000 postsecondary CTE students, and over 17,000 registered apprentices engaged in workforce education.
Beginning with the 2019-2020 school year, a student may earn a standard high school diploma through the Career and Technical Education pathway option.
Grant Sapp said Gadsden County Middle and High School population boosts a healthy enrollment of students in several Career Training and Education programs including accounting applications, administrative office technology, agriculture biotechnology agritechnology, culinary arts, entrepreneurship, introduction to business, information and communications technology, office administration, and nursing assistant.
Gadsden Technical College offers training leading to industry certification or professional licenses for adults and dual-enrolled high school students in the following state and national industry-certified programs such as automotive service technology, cosmetology, carpentry, commercial Class B driving, diesel maintenance technician, facials specialty, nails specialty, practical nursing, pharmacy technician, and power equipment Technologies Grant Sapp added.
For more information about Gadsden Technical College call (850) 875-8234 or visit gadsdentech.org
For more information on Career and Technical Education in Florida, visit http://GetThereFL.com
Erin Hill – Gadsden County News Service
