Flagler Schools Celebrate Career and Technical Education Month in Florida

Flagler County, FL – Ready to help accelerate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ goal of having the number one workforce in the nation by 2030, members of the Flagler Schools’ team were on hand Tuesday evening during the regular school board meeting not only to acknowledge the governor’s proclamation recognizing February as Career and Technical Education Month in Florida, but to share some of the district’s program successes.

Highlighting both the opportunities at Flagler Technical College to earn trade certificates in areas of high demand, while noting the reimplementation of the HVAC and electrical contractor certification programs, the presentation also showcased, by way of student testimonials, the dual enrollment opportunities to help fast track students from classrooms to careers.

“Our goal at Flagler Technical College is to connect career and technical education programs on the K-12 level with post-secondary options for our students, right here in Flagler County,” said FTC director Renee Stauffacher, who works closely with Kay Barnett CTE curriculum specialist for Flagler Schools, to achieve the district’s goals.

Among those assisting with this mission, Frank Santana has been a member of the Flagler Schools’ family for two decades, but it’s his newest course work that had Barnett spotlighting the instructor during the presentation.

Nabbing a $1,500 grant from the Volusia Manufacturers Association to help the program, students under the tutelage of Santana now have the opportunity as part of the advanced manufacturing program to learn what he deemed “skills to pay the bills”, while becoming a CPT – certified production technician.

“What I’m bringing to the table are skills to the kids, that if they’re not planning on going to college, it’s one of those things where we’ve got a captured audience, so those kids have an opportunity now to learn a skill that they can use almost immediately after school,” said Santana.

“We’re prepping them for the workforce, so right after school they can go to work either as an apprentice and get more training or to a technical school if they want,” he said.

Tying the opportunities together from K-12 on to higher education based on the “Get There Florida” plan launched statewide in September 2020, Barnett said students in Flagler County have many choices when considering a career path.

“It’s no longer either or,” when it comes to a bachelor’s degree or a trade certification explained Barnett.

“We are letting our students have opportunities that give them the step up, the smart start for going into the future,” she said.

“A lot of folks who have gotten bachelor’s degrees have gone back for a certificate for training, for licensure because the job market is shifting, and I think that’s something we’ll continue to see in the future.”

Read Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Proclamation: http://www.fldoe.org/…/5398/urlt/CTEMonthProc-19.pdf