CTE Newsletter - May 2022

BIMONTHLY NEWSLETTER MAY 2022 EDITION 6

A bimonthly newsletter highlighting the transformative power of Florida’s CTAE programs.

WELCOME letter I want to share with you something that I did—something I started in the Fall of 2020 and finished in the Spring of 2021, something I did for myself to gain additional insight, knowledge, and skills.

Dr. Kevin O’Farrell Chancellor, Department of Education Division of Career, Technical and Adult Education

What was it, you ask? I started and finished a short-term technical certificate program through one of our very own institutions in the Florida College System. You might ask, why enroll in a short-term technical certificate program? I believe in what we promote every day—and I needed to experience it myself.

I live by a simple mantra that I use in my personal and professional life. If you’re not Growin’, you’re Slowin’. Growin’ leads to opportunity, while Slowin’ is the absence of growth – leading to stagnation, limitation and lost opportunity. Understanding this dynamic is essential for reaching one’s full potential.

It’s evident that education is changing. We are experiencing a technological revolution that is transforming our society into a knowledge-based economy. The future of work is here. Up-skilling and re-skilling will be the new norm for individuals operating in a competitive workplace, and learning and mastering new competencies will be essential for all workers, regardless of background, and an expectation from employers.

One of the many benefits that Career, Technical and Adult Education (CTAE) provide individuals is the opportunity to reimagine and reengineer their lives. Whether individuals are pursuing workforce certificates or programs, returning to up-skill and stack credentials to add value to their professional portfolio, those looking to earn their GED through adult education programs, or those moving through an apprenticeship program, CTAE offers everyone the opportunity to grow and to take deliberate action to improve their quality of life.

We help provide a path to a more rewarding and fulfilling future. This is the purpose and excitement of our work.

I am energized and honored to join the Florida Department of Education’s Division of Career, Technical and Adult Education as the new Chancellor. My sincere thanks for your warm welcome as I have had the privilege to meet some of you in-person during my recent travels. I eagerly anticipate connecting with you in the days ahead and getting to know you and the transformational work you do for Floridians across the State.

Let’s keep Growin’ as we Get There!

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TABLE OF contents 4|

Student sensation Stacking Credentials to Success

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adult education video

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fcs month

Recap of Florida College System (FCS) Month

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Cte trivia

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Teacher highlight

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Social media shoutouts

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Program highlight

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Upcoming events

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future of work florida

PBSC 911 Dispatch Program Celebrates 10 Years and New Simulation Lab

Community Partners Come Together to Fuel the Economy Through Apprenticeship Programs

Florida’s Future Depends on Ensuring that our State Not Only Attracts Talent but Retains it

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Animated Video in English and in Spanish to Promote GED® Enrollment

Guess the Celebrity who Earned an Education in CTE

Institutions and Partners Across Florida Sharing and Promoting CTE

Each Observance Serves as Another Opportunity to Celebrate CTE

STUDENt sensation “SPC’s classes gave me the knowledge, but they also taught me how the test works so that I knew what to expect going in,” Huff said. “And it didn’t cost me anything – everyone who successfully completes the coursework gets a voucher that pays for the exam.”

Evan is proud to have earned that certification at such a young age. “To be certified at 18 is great because there are people earning that certification who have been working in the field for years with more experience than I have, but I could still pass.”

Evan said the experience at SPC that made the biggest impression was the opportunity to participate in the National Cyber League (NCL), a performance-based, learning-centered collegiate cybersecurity competition.

Evam Huff St. Petersburg College Graduate

“I heard about it at SPC and thought it sounded cool,” Evan said. “That experience ignited my passion for cybersecurity – I have never been more inspired by anything. It exposed me to how beautiful that world is. I enjoy problem-solving and finding solutions, and you can apply these skills to everything you do – not just cybersecurity.”

Stacking credentials to success

by St. Petersburg College Staff

Last Fall, Evan began work on a bachelor’s degree in Community-Engaged Cybersecurity at the University of South Florida, where he entered as a junior. He ultimately hopes to land a job with the Department of Defense.

Our student highlight this month is Evan Huff, a St. Petersburg College graduate. Evan started taking classes at St. Petersburg College as a Dual Enrollment student at the age of 14. Now 18, he has an Associate in Arts degree in his pocket, along with some industry certifications and a clear vision for his career future.

ICYMI: In March, Governor Ron DeSantis Announced $20 Million to Create Cybersecurity and Information Technology Workforce Education Opportunities.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/37InsPf

Along with his degree, Evan took two cybersecurity courses, which prepared him to take the exam for the CompTIA Security+ certification.

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FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM month businesses within one year of graduation, according to the Florida Education and Training Placement Information Program.

Recap of FLORIDA COLLEGE SYSTEM MONTH

By DCAE STAF

FCS institutions are modernizing to adapt to current and future workforce needs by expanding In April, we celebrated Florida College System (FCS) opportunities for students in technologies such Month. Florida’s 28 FCS institutions are the primary as 3D printing, drones, financial technology, cybersecurity and autonomous vehicles. access points to higher education in our state, Throughout the month of April, the Florida providing affordable, accessible and high-quality Department of Education highlighted on social postsecondary education opportunities for all media popular programs at FCS institutions across eligible students. the state. Connect with the Florida Department of Education and the Florida College System on Florida’s higher education system has ranked #1 Twitter. in the nation for the past five consecutive years, according to U.S. News and World Report, and For more information regarding the FCS, reach out the distinction is significantly due to the success to Bonita Hampton at Bonita.Hampton@fldoe.org. of the FCS. State and community colleges are often students’ first choice for higher education opportunities, with enrollment exceeding 640,000 students during the 2020-21 school year and FCS institutions conferring over 119,000 degrees and certificates during the period. In addition, over 40 percent of upper-division state university students were once enrolled in an FCS school.

The FCS also supports students with differing backgrounds and career goals. Last year, the statewide network of FCS institutions welcomed nearly 78,000 active-duty military personnel, veterans and reservists, as well as their spouses and dependents. Another 78,500 dual-enrollment high school students were able to earn college credit at an FCS school, collectively saving millions of dollars on tuition and books, and 62 percent of all enrollees were minorities.

Since 2019, more than 37,900 students have earned rapid workforce credentials and more than 17,400 allied health care programs have been completed. Additionally, more than 88 percent of all FCS graduates go on to contribute to local 5

Phil Berlingo, program coordinator and an instructor, coaches student Reese Hayes in Palm Beach State College’s 911 simulation lab.

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TEACHER HIGHLIGHT Berlingo has had an impact on many students over the past decade. One of Berlingo’s former students Dana Zamarelli, a duty officer supervisor for the Florida Highway Patrol, graduated from the program 10 years ago and now oversees a 911 telecommunications team that covers 11 counties.

“The program was fantastic,” Zamarelli said. “It covered so many things, and we had people from all sorts of different departments and agencies come in and talk about their careers. Everyone came in with so much knowledge and so much to talk about, it made me excited to keep furthering my career.”

PBSC 911 dispatch program celebrates 10 years and new simulation lab

Submitted by Joyce Edelstein, Palm Beach State College

Every year, more than one million 911 calls are answered by public safety telecommunicators in Palm Beach County. This year marks a decade Palm Beach State College has been training these heroes behind the headsets. The county’s leader in public safety education, Palm Beach State established the Public Safety Telecommunications Career Certificate Program in 2012 in response to Florida becoming one of the first states to require certification for 911 dispatchers. It is still the only state college program of its kind south of Brevard County. “This program would not have been possible without Phil Berlingo and our dedicated instructors,” said Barbara Cipriano, associate dean for Public Safety. “They know firsthand the demands facing these unseen first responders, and the students have benefited tremendously. Many of our graduate’s work in the county and have risen through the ranks of this profession.”

Recently the program purchased an E911 simulator system with funds from the CARES Act Rapid Credentialing Grant for the training center on the College’s Lake Worth Campus. The program can simulate a 911 dispatch operation, complete with a computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system. “With SAVE Corporations E911 simulator system, we can provide a hands-on experience using a realtime CAD with real-time calls. Students pinpoint locations and dispatch mock units as we bombard them with multiple calls of all types. We can even add background noises to make it as realistic as a dispatch center.” Said Berlingo.

The 232-hour program can be completed part-time (evenings) in one semester and includes field trips to key county trauma facilities and opportunities to observe professional dispatchers in action.

Graduates of this state-approved program are eligible to take the Florida Department of Health 911 Public Safety Telecommunicator certification exam.

Phil Berlingo has been the program’s coordinator and one of the instructors since the program launched in 2012. He is a retired NYPD officer, who works for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO). “I can be out on the road for PBSO, and I’ll phone fire rescue for a call number, and when they answer the phone, they go right to ‘Mr. Berlingo, how’s everything going at the College?’ And then I know it’s one of my former students, and that’s the rewarding part—that they’re working in the career field.”

For more information on the 911 Telecommunications program please contact Joyce Edelstein at edelstej@palmbeachstate.edu

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program HIGHLIGHT workforce programs campus and communitywide, and organized various CTE related activities. Our Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) CTE Day and CTE Faculty Exchange Day both engaged in teaching the essence of workforce and how our CTE department contributes to Florida’s workforce demand. Our CTE Speaker Series concluded CTE Month, featuring representatives from OIC of South Florida, Kaseya, City of Miami, and FedEx, whom all spoke on serving our community through workforce and how students can prepare themselves efficiently for any employer. This brought emphasis on CTE being an integral part of the nation’s future in workforce.

Community Partners come together to fuel the economy through apprenticeship programs Submitted by Miami-Dade College

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department at Miami Dade College (MDC) has been immersed in developing and promoting CTE programs including apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs. Partnering with Bean Automotive Group, Career Source South Florida and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council Miami Community Ventures, to pioneer the Automotive Technician Specialist Registered Apprenticeship Program was the jumpstart to an active fiscal year. In addition to the seven active MDC Registered Apprenticeship Programs managed by CTE, two additional programs are in development: H-VAC Pre-Apprenticeship and Teacher Assisting Apprenticeship. These programs offer numerous opportunities to our students who are eager to learn and earn an income within one of the multiple career pathways.

Our CTE department currently manages seven FDOE and USDOL grants, equaling to approximately $8 million dollars: FDOE Pathways to Career Opportunities, FDOE Carl Perkins, USDOL Scaling Apprenticeships, Apprenticeship State Expansion (ASE) FACTE Mini-Grant, American Association of Community College (AACC) Expanding Community College Apprenticeships, Get There Faster WIOA, and Open Door. All are targeted towards creating a pathway for students to earn as they learn in high-demand workforce industries. Those individuals who are considered incumbent, unemployed, underemployed, or furloughed are being given a great opportunity to acquire skills to ultimately obtain a profession. Also, these grants are just as equally Whether virtual or face-to-face, our efforts to particbeneficial to our employers and the college in terms ipate in nationwide workforce celebrations has been of retention and marketing. All in all, whether it’s enduring and gratifying. November 15th – 19th, dealing with apprenticeships, CTE programs, and or 2021 was National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) and numerous grant funding, the MDC CTE department MDC Apprenticeship employer partners were honis continuously hard at work. ored during our Employer Convening at the Eduardo J. Padrón Campus. February 1, 2022 initiated the commencement of February as CTE Month. The proclamation from Governor Ron DeSantis encouraged much needed acclamation towards not only our department, but also workforce within the whole State of Florida. In celebration of CTE Month, our department came together to advertise our 200+ 8

Florida’s future depends on ensuring our state not only attracts talent but retains it. Earlier this year, the Florida Chamber Foundation surveyed Florida businesses about their future workforce needs and found that nearly 72% of workforce leaders still struggle to find qualified talent. What is more, the majority of them were unaware of the ability of Florida’s public school districts, technical colleges, and Florida College System institutions to serve as a workforce-resource/supplier.

journey. As the #1 state in higher education and #3 workforce in the nation, Florida attracts growing businesses, which means more opportunity. For Florida to achieve its goal of becoming the number one state in the nation for workforce education by 2030, all stakeholders must unite.

In partnership with the Florida Chamber of Commerce, we are announcing Future of Work Florida—a micro-campaign of Get There that will elevate support for career and technical education as a new opportunity for our workforce. Future of Work Florida will proclaim to businesses, parents and students that Florida has a dynamic, longterm plan to fuel the future. The Future of Work Florida was created to bring together job creators, industry leaders and partners to showcase the careers of the future and the industries with growth potential. Workforce education will propel us there—faster, farther.

Since 2020, the Florida Department of Education’s Get There campaign has been the leading strategy for recruiting individuals into crucial workforce education programs. We have seen success in enrollment, certification and completion rates, with more than 772,000 K-12 CTE students (the highest in the state’s history), more than 338,000 postsecondary CTE students, record numbers of CTE graduates at the postsecondary level (over 63,000 in 2021), and over 15,000 registered apprentices engaged in workforce education.

Stay tuned for more updates at www.GetThereFL. com.

Florida’s diversity, in people, climate and industry, make it an ideal place to begin or continue a career

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adult education video As many of you know, Florida is home to over 3 million adults who are basic skills deficient or are without a high school diploma or its equivalent. We at the Division of Career, Technical and Adult Education are working hard to change that; but we need your help.

We recently created an animated video in English and in Spanish to promote GED® enrollment and show how a GED® program, especially combined with the Integrated Education and Training (IET) model, can impact a person’s life—nearly ensuring for social and economic mobility.

Meet Kristen - learn more about how she earned her GED® and how it changed her life. Adult Education is convenient, accessible and achievable! download adult education videos

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guess the

CELEBRITY In honor of Florida College System Month in April, guess the celebrity who graduated from a Community College.

Find the answers at the bottom of the page.

1.

This actress is known for her work in films such as the “X-Men” franchise, “Swordfish,” and “Monster’s Ball.” She won an Oscar in 2002 for her performance in the latter film and has since gone on to collect Golden Globes and Primetime Emmy Awards for her subsequent work. But before she was on the big screen, she studied broadcast journalism at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio. a.

Drew Barrymore b.

Meryl Streep c.

Scarlett Johansson d.

Halle Berry

2.

The first woman astronaut to pilot a space shuttle as well as the first in NASA history to command one. The path that led her to space began at Corning Community College in New York, where she earned an associate degree. According to her NASA bio, she was inspired to pursue space travel after the first group of female astronauts visited the base where she was training as a fresh recruit to the U.S. Air Force. a.

Sian Proctor b.

Eileen Collins c.

Anne McClain d.

Sally Ride

Answers: 1. d. Halle Berry 2. b. Eileen Collins

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SOCIAL MEDIA shoutouts

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upcoming events May 1-7, 2022, is National Travel and Tourism Week May 6, 2022, is National Nurses Day May 6-12, 2022, is National Nurses Week May 15-21, 2022, is National Police Week June 28, 2022, is National Logistics Day

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