November 23, 2021
Tallahassee Community College’s Division of Workforce Development has been awarded $169,901 through the Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). The grant funds were made available to establish new or expand existing registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs. The grant announcement was made during the seventh annual National Apprenticeship Week, which kicked off on Monday, Nov, 15.
Apprenticeship programs offer a consistent way to recruit, train, and retain highly-skilled talent, and are an affordable option to the traditional university pathway. Job seekers earn wages while learning workplace skills, working toward a career, and avoiding student loan debt.
“Apprenticeships are a win-win for businesses and job seekers, allowing business to hand-pick talent and teach necessary skills,” said Kimberly A. Moore, VP for Workforce Innovation and TCC2WORK. “TCC is committed to our goal of creating opportunities for good-paying jobs and a qualified workforce in our community. We are extremely proud of our partnership with Apprenticeship Florida, and we are thankful for the legislature and Governor’s continued support of these programs.”
Tallahassee Community College has existing partnerships with Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), offering a 4-year certification program that includes on-the-job-training and classroom instruction for occupations in the electrical industry as well as with Jacksonville Plumbers & Pipefitters Joint Apprenticeship & Training Trust (JATT), offering a 5-year certification program for plumbers, pipefitters, and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technicians. These apprenticeship programs lead to certification as a journeyman to meet the workforce needs in the Big Bend Region and throughout the state of Florida. Grant funds will be used to establish an electrical pre-apprenticeship program under the existing partnership with the Florida Department of Corrections and IEC. The program will be located in the Jefferson County Correctional Institution along with the existing electrical program led by TCC.
Employers who would like to create apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship programs should contact the Tallahassee Community College’s Division of Workforce Development at (850) 201-8760 or workforce@tcc.fl.edu.