03/06/2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Draft Letter of Support February 16, 2018 The Honorable Rick Scott Office of the Governor State of Florida -The Capitol 400 S. Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 RE: Florida Job Growth Grant Fund Public Infrastructure Grant Dear Governor Scott, This letter is being written in support of the School District of Indian River County's grant proposal for the "Expansion of the Technical Center for Career and Adult Education" project under the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. This project will provide immediate access to training and education in high need, high wage jobs. Unfortunately, there is not a postsecondary institution in our community that offers these training programs, so the School District is stepping up to meet these needs. The School District project centers on the relocation and expansion of its current Technical Center. The center already offers career paths in the Healthcare field, to include a Licensed Practical Nursing Program (LPN), as well as Phlebotomy, Medical Coder Biller, and several other health related licenses. The expansion will now provide industrial workforce training, such as welding and building construction technologies, including plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and HVAC. These programs will be available to high school students through a dual enrollment agreement and to adults in our community. Parts of our county have high levels of poverty, which have been present for generations. More than half of our student population qualify for free and reduced lunch (62%). In the latest census, 1 in 4 of our children live in poverty (25%). This is an opportunity to break the cycles of generational poverty and remove the barriers of transportation and accessibility to programs. The location of the new Technical Center is in a high poverty area of the community where the residents are predominately low income, underemployed, or unskilled. This expansion provides an avenue for these residents to obtain workforce training without having to travel. It is also centrally located in our county giving easy access to all. We believe that the School District's expansion of its Technical Center will promote economic diversity by serving students of any age, race, or economic class. It will provide a pathway out of poverty for residents who have heretofore been unable to access workforce training programs. Job training will lead to employment in a job market searching for a skilled workforce and growth for local businesses with the added benefit of financial stability for families. I believe that this project is vital to the betterment of our community, local businesses, and our students. Sincerely, 00 4/S