Florida Governor Pushing Workforce Skills Program.

The Miami Herald (10/13) reports that Florida Gov. Rick Scott is “barnstorming” career and technical education schools around the state pushing for “a modest $20 million grant program called ‘a career in a year,’ to encourage centers to teach skills to match emerging needs in Florida’s workforce.” The article characterizes the push as part of Scott’s jobs emphasis.         The Florida Times-Union (10/12) reports that Scott said that he “wants to spend $20 million to help technical schools respond quickly to employer needs,” noting that this likely is the first of a “stream of announcements about his upcoming budget proposal.” Under the plan, nearly 50 “technical colleges and centers would be eligible for competitive grants, which would be geared toward programs that could be completed in less than 52 weeks.” The plan “would include programs like licensed practical nursing, which takes 45 weeks and has 2,361 openings in Florida, and welding, a 39-week program that could offer a path to one of 583 jobs.”         The Bradenton (FL) Herald (10/13), the Palm Beach (FL) Post (10/12), and the Tampa Bay (FL) Times (10/13) run similar reports.