Florida Ranked Top State for Workforce Education
Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida has been ranked as the number one state in the U.S. for workforce education. The achievement fulfills a goal set by a 2019 executive order five years ahead of its 2030 target. The announcement was made during Career and Technical Education (CTE) month.
- In 2019, when Governor DeSantis issued the executive order to make Florida number one in workforce education, the state was ranked 24th. The goal was to improve the percentage of residents aged 25-64 holding a high-quality postsecondary degree or workforce-relevant certificate. - The state has invested over $12 billion in workforce education since 2019. This funding has supported a significant increase in Career and Technical Education (CTE) enrollment, with over 818,000 K-12 students and nearly 512,000 postsecondary students participating in the 2024-25 academic year. - A key part of the strategy involved auditing existing CTE courses to ensure they align with market demands for high-demand, high-wage jobs. The programs are organized into 17 career clusters, including fields like health science, information technology, and manufacturing. - For the third consecutive year, Lightcast's 2024 Talent Attraction Scorecard ranked Florida number one for attracting and developing a skilled workforce. This evaluation is based on metrics such as job growth, educational attainment, and migration data. - Grant programs have been instrumental in this achievement. The Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant has provided $240 million to 80 agencies, creating 812 new programs. Additionally, the Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant has awarded over $100 million, benefiting 20,000 individuals in apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. - The number of active participants in Florida's apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs has reached a record 25,000. The state has also expanded its Integrated Education and Training (IET) programs to 582, serving over 11,000 students since 2021 and allowing adult learners to earn credentials while completing their high school diplomas.
