Northwest Florida State College Launches Apprenticeship Program
November 5, 2019
Photo (L-R): NWFSC President Dr. Devin Stephenson, Florida Chancellor for Career and Adult Education Dr. Henry Mack, NWFSC Director of Workforce Development Bill Allison, NWFSC VP of Academic Affairs Dr. Deborah Kish, Anne Shaffield of CareerSource, Florida DOE representative Meghan Collins, David Satterly of Plumbrite, Gabriela Leysath of CareerSource, NWFSC Adjunct Instructor Corey Fink, Michele Burns of CareerSource, Marcus Cook of Emerald Bay Plumbing, Jim LeBlanc of Southern Value Engineering and Kelly Jordan of CareerSource
Niceville, FL – Northwest Florida State College is proud to announce its approval to join the State of Florida’s Apprenticeship System. This approval means that NWFSC will soon launch a new Apprenticeship Program to train skilled carpenters and plumbers, preparing them to join the labor workforce.
“Congratulations to Northwest Florida State College on their approval to participate in the State of Florida’s Apprenticeship Program,” said Florida Department of Education Chancellor of Innovation Dr. Eric Hall. “It is a pleasure to commend NWFSC and thank them for their commitment to ensuring Florida continues to produce well-trained, highly skilled carpenters and plumbers. Workforce education is a top priority for Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Education, and NWFSC is playing a pivotal role in securing Florida’s future, and we appreciate their dedication in helping make Florida number one in the nation for workforce education.”
Funding for the NWFSC Apprenticeship Program was made possible through a $1.75 million State of Florida Apprenticeship Expansion Grant. NWFSC was one of 14 approved sites to receive approval for the Apprenticeship Program and was awarded $100,000 from the State in partnership with CareerSource Okaloosa/Walton.
“We are proud to provide this Apprenticeship Program to our local workforce community,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, NWFSC president. “We strive to be on the forefront of industry needs so that we can offer the best training to support our local and regional businesses.”
NWFSC will roll out the Apprenticeship Program this spring as participating employers hire apprentices. Apprentices will work 2,000 hours a year in their field of plumbing or carpentry and receive 144 hours of instruction at NWFSC. As part of the program, apprentices will receive classes in financial literacy, safety training and industry-specific training as dictated by the employer to insure a smooth transition from training to real-world scenarios.