Three Southwest Florida school districts will get nearly $200,000 out of the more than $2.7 million distributed to 28 school districts and state colleges to purchase industry standard equipment for career and technical education programs across Florida.
The funding will better equip students as they prepare for job opportunities in high demand fields and includes several CTE programs impacted by Hurricane Ian in Lee, Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Highlands counties. To view the list of institutions receiving funding for the 2022-23 school year, click here.
CTE programs are a major component of workforce education and are responsible for preparing individuals for occupations important to Florida’s economic development. These programs are organized into 17 different career clusters and are geared toward middle school, high school, district technical school, and Florida College System students throughout the state.
The awards are authorized under the Perkins V Career and Technical Education Equipment Upgrade and Modernization program, which offers secondary and post-secondary agencies the opportunity to more fully develop academic and technical career skills among CTE students. The funding will accelerate economic recovery from Hurricane Ian and ensure that Florida’s businesses will continue to benefit from a highly skilled workforce. Since 2019, Florida has invested more than $5 billion in workforce education initiatives.
SWFL schools awarded:
- Charlotte County School District Postsecondary Aviation Airframe Mechanics $25,000
- DeSoto County School District Secondary Agritechnology $64,242
- Lee County School District Secondary Welding Technology Fundamentals $84,700
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