On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced $10 million in funding for a first-of-its-kind Career and Technical Education (CTE) charter schools initiative.
The first five schools to be awarded funding are:
- Northwest Florida State College
- Tallahassee Community College
- Santa Fe College
- St. Pete College
- Miami-Dade College
Each of the 5 colleges will receive $2 million to create and operate early CTE charter schools. This will allow high school students to earn credentials and college credit while in high school. It will also expand the dual enrollment program at NWFSC’s Collegiate High School.
The Collegiate High School is a public charter school located on the College’s Niceville campus. The innovative charter school enables 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students to simultaneously earn a standard high-school diploma and a transferable two-year Associate in Arts degree or transferable college credits.
- As a public school, the Collegiate High School is free to students.
The Early College Career and Technical Education grant will extend Collegiate High School services to 9th-grade students and expand its degree tracks to include an Associate in Science (A.S.) in Computer Information Technology and an Associate in Science (A.S.) in Engineering Technology.
According to NWFSC, these degree tracks will give students the opportunity to earn industry certifications to include:
- CompTIA A+
- CompTIA Network+
- CompTIA Security+
- Solidworks
- National Coalition of Certifications Centers NC3
- Manufacturing Skills Standard’s Council’s CPT
Students will also be able to participate in work-learning experiences to include internships within the local industries.
“As the leading provider of high-quality career education and a high-performing Collegiate High School in Northwest Florida, these innovative program initiatives continue to demonstrate the College’s commitment to advance cutting-edge programming that expands career education opportunities for students,” said NWFSC President Dr. Devin Stephenson. “Working in partnership with Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education, and Superintendent Marcus Chambers and the Okaloosa County School District, Northwest Florida State College is dedicated to ensuring students complete with the skills, competencies, and industry credentials necessary to be successful in today’s workforce.”
The college plans to launch the program in Fall of 2022.
For more information on the apprenticeship programs the College offers or the Collegiate High School, please contact Cristie Kedroski at (850) 729-5210 or stratcomm@nwfsc.edu.
