Narrative: III. a. 2. E.

Florida Talent Development Council
The Florida Talent Development Council, directed by the Governor’s REACH Office, is tasked with creating a strategic plan to ensure 60% of working-age Floridians hold a high value postsecondary credential by 2030. The Council includes legislative, business, workforce development and postsecondary education leaders.

The Florida Talent Development Council is charged by Florida statute to develop a strategic plan that must, at a minimum:

• Identify Florida’s fastest-growing industry sectors and the postsecondary credentials required for employment in those industries.
• Assess whether postsecondary degrees, certificates, and other credentials awarded by Florida’s postsecondary institutions align with high-demand employment needs and job placement rates.
• Identify strategies to deepen and expand cross-sector collaboration to align higher education programs with targeted industry needs.
• Establish targeted strategies to increase certifications and degrees for all populations with attention to increasing access and participation for underserved populations and incumbent workers requiring an upgrade of skill.
• Assess the role of apprenticeship programs in meeting targeted workforce needs and identify any barriers to program expansion.
• Identify common metrics and benchmarks to demonstrate progress toward the 60% goal and how the SAIL to 60 Initiative can provide coordinated cross-sector support for the strategic plan.
• Recommend improvements to the consistency of workforce education data collected and reported by FCS institutions and school districts, including the establishment of common elements and definitions for any data that is used for state and federal funding and program accountability.
• Establish a timeline for regularly updating the strategic plan and the established goals.

The Florida Talent Development Council’s 2023 Updated Strategic Plan can be viewed online.

Blending Academics with Career and Technical Education
VR coordinates with state and local education agencies and officials to collaboratively offer youth with disabilities opportunities to gain work experiences that help them prepare for current and future careers. Collaborations such as Able Trust’s High School High Tech, Project SEARCH, Career Camps, Work-Based Learning Experiences, and Postsecondary Education programs engage eligible VR participants in both classroom and practical instruction that blends acquisition of certificates and work skills that align with occupations available through Career and Technical Education. Hands-on career exploration and preparation activities where learned skills, attitudes and behaviors can be applied in practical or real-world situations are designed to support eligible VR participants in becoming and staying engaged.

FDBS offers technical/vocational training programs at the Career, Technology, and Training Center (CTTC), a brick and mortar, residential training facility where individuals with visual impairments learn to lead productive, self-sufficient lives. The Assistive Technology Program (ATP) launched in November 2021 and clients may participate online or stay on campus. The ATP is for students with a current job offer or college acceptance to gain technology skills required to go to work/school. The new Web Accessibility Specialist Registered Apprenticeship program is the first of its kind in the nation sponsored by an agency that services individuals with visual impairments. The first apprentice started in fall 2023, with plans to add more participants after initial implementation. FDBS serves as the sponsor and employer in this competency-based program that leads to a recognized credential as a Web Accessibility Specialist for those who complete the program successfully.

DCAE coordinates with state and local education agencies and officials to collaboratively offer increased Career and Technical Education through IET programs and activities in adult education classrooms. An IET program blends a range of education and training services to build learners’ foundational, employability and occupational skills. IET Programs provide adult education and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce training for a specific occupation. This allows IET Programs to contextualize basic skills instruction, offer simulations, net sequential skill gains, achieve accelerated outcomes, offer work-based learning opportunities and work experience, and put students on a career pathway leading to family-sustaining wages.

Collaborating with Florida’s Universities and Colleges
CareerSource Florida partnered with the FDOE DCAE to identify short-term, high value credential programs to launch a statewide Get There Florida workforce education initiative.  This initiative capitalized on rapid credentialing grants and provided critical information about Career Technical Education (CTE) career pathways and highlighted public education institutions with associated CTE offerings. By aligning a student’s interest with potential career pathways, Get There helped to increase enrollment in valuable workforce training programs by connecting students directly to their local institution.

In addition, CareerSource Florida helped spearhead the Future of Work Florida campaign in partnership with the Florida Department of Education Division of Career and Adult Education and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Future of Work Florida targets Florida middle and high school students and parents to showcase Career and Technical Education opportunities across the state. The initiative also reaches businesses who have a vested interest in the future of Florida’s workforce as it relates to CTE-focused jobs. In addition to sharing careers and CTE programs of the future with Florida youth, the Future of Work Florida initiative brought together job creators, industry leaders and partners to showcase the careers of the future and the industries with growth potential. 

Complementing the Get endeavor, the “Your Way” initiative was introduced as an additional branch of the campaign facilitated by FDOE. “Your Way” serves to assist adult learners in finding a classroom and getting the skills needed to succeed. Furthermore, the "Your Way" initiative offers a range of resources and fosters collaborative efforts with adult education providers to advocate their programs. Its focus lies in promoting high school equivalency diplomas and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs as viable options for educational prosperity for adults in Florida.

A collaborative effort between CareerSource Florida, FDOE and FloridaCommerce, Apprentice Florida is a statewide outreach campaign that seeks to expand registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs in Florida, in turn creating a fortified talent pipeline in targeted sectors and driving economic development across the Sunshine State.

Apprenticeships are a proven training method benefiting job seekers and businesses. Through mentorship and technical instruction, apprentices receive OJT to learn necessary skills while earning a paycheck. Meanwhile, the flexibility for an employer to design an apprenticeship program specific to their needs offers a consistent way to recruit, train and retain talent. 

Apprentice Florida’s website, ApprenticeFlorida.com, connects employers and job seekers alike with resources to help begin their apprenticeship journeys, including video tutorials for getting started, in-depth guides on how to build and launch a program, and testimonials from businesses and apprentices across Florida. Leveraging a strategic mix of multimedia communications strategies, including advertising, social media outreach, partner and media engagement and email marketing, the Apprentice Florida campaign educates employers and job seekers alike on how registered apprenticeship programs can transform their talent pipelines and careers.

The FCS supports, strengthens, and expands efforts through its post-secondary institutions to deepen the region’s talent pool in targeted sectors. FDBS continues to seek opportunities to broaden collaboration and resource alignment through its partnerships with state colleges. The Division contracts with the Florida State College at Jacksonville to provide pre-employment transition services. Florida State University (FSU) offers a combined BS/MS pathway in Visual Disabilities Education, the only program of its kind in the Southeast. FSU students visit during the fall and spring semesters to learn about the programs and services offered by the Division. Future efforts will focus on expanding outreach to other state colleges for a more robust partnership with the FCS.

Local VR offices have longstanding relationships with local colleges and universities to both help recruit FDVR applicants and support students. VR staff participate in information-sharing events for students in rehabilitation and counseling programs to discuss VR employment and internship opportunities. Liaisons from VR offices are assigned to colleges and universities throughout the state to partner with disability resources and student support center staff. VR staff also partner with local colleges and universities at job fairs and open house events and serve on various support services boards and committees.

Facilitating Postsecondary Education
The REACH Act established many initiatives to facilitate post-secondary education. The creation of a Credentials Review Committee to create a MCL that defines degree and nondegree credentials of value creates transparency and informs funding decisions based on the needs of employers. The development of a Workforce Opportunity Portal will help Florida’s students assess different career paths and the education programs aligned with those paths.  The Open-Door Grant program established by the REACH Act provides up to two-thirds of tuition assistance for select programs at FCS and Technical College institutions.

The Florida Divisions of Blind Services and Vocational Rehabilitation entered into an MOU with the FDOE’s Division of Public Schools, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS). This state-level interagency agreement requires partners to provide transition services to students progressing from high school to postsecondary education/training, support services and/or employment. Parties under this agreement meet regularly to share information, ideas, and current initiatives; collaborate on training and special projects; cooperate in planning and budgeting; and support mutually beneficial areas of work.

As required by the interagency agreement, VR has a representative on the State Secondary Transition Interagency Committee. The representative works closely with the regional representatives of Project 10: The Transition Education Network, which is funded through a grant from the BEESS within FDOE to the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg as well as others within the agency.

Project 10 helps Florida school districts and stakeholders increase their ability to provide secondary transition services to students with disabilities and improve student academic success and postsecondary outcomes. Project 10 helps educators, parents, students, agency representatives and other stakeholders by providing capacity-building support to implement secondary transition services, interagency collaboration, transition legislation and policy and student development and outcomes.

FDBS has a formal interagency agreement with other divisions within FDOE that provide pre-employment and other transition services to high school students progressing to postsecondary education/training, support services, and/or competitive integrated employment. These agencies agree to meet regularly to share information, ideas, and current initiatives; collaborate on training and special projects; cooperate in planning and budgeting; and support areas of work that are mutually beneficial. This agreement functions as a transition services model for improved collaboration, communication, coordination, and cooperation among the parties included in the agreement. The Get There Florida Initiative is in partnership with the state’s 28 FCS institutions and the state’s 48 technical colleges or centers. It accelerates completion time for an in-demand industry certification or postsecondary workforce credential. The Division added the guide for this initiative on the FDBS website and integrated it into the College Handbook.

Education and Industry Consortium
Senate Bill 240 (2023) requires LWDB chairs to appoint an Education and Industry Consortium for each local workforce area. Consortium members must represent public and private sector education providers from the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary sectors. Industry representatives must be representative of the focused sectors in the area and the largest employers in the area. Representatives must be leaders of their respective organizations.

The Consortia are required to meet quarterly and discuss the talent needs of the businesses and the related programs offered by education. Reports from the meeting are to be shared with the LWDB. This strategy ensures that industry and education leaders in all Florida communities are engaging and informing the LWDB strategies for talent development.

Partnerships with School Districts
VR has partnered with school districts to provide Work-Based Learning Experiences and Career Camps for students with disabilities. VR Transition Youth services align with the Pre-ETS required under WIOA. VR is seeking an expansion of capacity by encouraging school districts to become providers.

VR counselors serving transition students participate in each area’s local interagency councils. Interagency councils are a collaborative effort between VR and FDOE’s Division of Public-School partners, public high schools, adult service agencies, workforce programs, parents, students, advocates and employers cooperating to meet the transition needs of students with disabilities.

FDBS provides technical assistance to Local Education Agency (LEA) staff in planning for the transition of students with disabilities to post-secondary education or employment options via Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings. Partners collaborate and promote program services through participation in existing interagency committees and workgroups. The Division created training tools for Pre-ETS and Transition for LEA staff to facilitate coordination of services, parent outreach, training, and identification of students who may benefit from the program.

As required by the interagency agreement, VR has a representative on the State Secondary Transition Interagency Committee. The representative works closely with the regional representatives of Project 10: The Transition Education Network, which is funded through a grant from the BEESS within the FDOE to the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg as well as others within the agency.

Project 10 helps Florida school districts and stakeholders increase their ability to provide secondary transition services to students with disabilities and improve student academic success and postsecondary outcomes. Project 10 helps educators, parents, students, agency representatives and other stakeholders by providing capacity-building support to implement secondary transition services, interagency collaboration, transition legislation and policy and student development and outcomes.

Leveraging Partnerships for Exceptional Education and Student Services
The Florida Divisions of Blind Services and Vocational Rehabilitation entered into an MOU with the FDOE’s Division of Public Schools, BEESS. This state-level interagency agreement requires partners to provide transition services to students progressing from high school to postsecondary education/training, support services and/or employment. Parties under this agreement meet regularly to share information, ideas and current initiatives; collaborate on training and special projects; cooperate in planning and budgeting; and support mutually beneficial areas of work.

ETPL
Eligible Training Providers (ETPs) of training services or programs of study are entities that are eligible to receive WIOA Title I-B funds for adult and dislocated worker participants who enroll in programs of study through Individual Training Accounts (ITA).  ITAs may also be used for WIOA Title I Youth funds to provide training to out-of-school youth, ages 18 to 24. To be eligible to receive training funds under Section 133(b), WIOA, the ETP must be on the state or local ETPL. Florida is currently operating under a federal waiver allowing in-school-youth to utilize ITAs for training.

The REACH Act positions Florida to help individuals with barriers to education and employment become self-sufficient through a system-wide approach that includes requiring FloridaCommerce, with input from FDOE, the state workforce development board, and others to establish minimum performance criteria for WIOA ETPs to be eligible for inclusion and to subsequently remain on the ETPL.

The REACH Act charges FloridaCommerce with establishing WIOA ETP criteria focused on participant outcomes. The quality and selection of providers and training services programs is vital to achieving these core principles.

The CareerSource Florida Administrative Policy 090 – WIOA ETPL provides guidance to LWDBs about the ETPL and related federal and state requirements, performance standards, data reporting, and procedures for determining initial and continued eligibility of training providers, including in-state and out-of-local-area and out-of-state providers and programs of study. The policy describes the state policy on enforcement of ETPs including denials, deactivation, removal, loss of eligibility, re-application, and the appeals process for LWDBs and providers.

This policy conforms with requirements established by the USDOL, the REACH Act, and implements a critical system-wide improvement as part of the Florida Workforce System Transformation Plan approved by the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors.

Existing programs on the state and local ETPLs must meet at least two of the minimum performance criteria to be approved for subsequent (continued) eligibility to remain on the state and local ETPLs. The minimum program criteria may not exceed the threshold at which more than 20 percent of all ETPs in the state would fall below. A program must have a minimum of five participants to determine if they performed successfully – training programs with fewer than five participants will remain on the ETPL until there is enough data to determine performance outcomes. LWDBs can adopt more stringent performance criteria for programs. However, programs meeting the minimum criteria below may remain on the state ETPL. 

Additional Opportunities for Partnership
The CareerSource Florida Board of Directors provides funding allocations to each LWDB for delivery of services. LWDBs are encouraged to leverage federal and state funds to expand local provision of services. LWDBs are expected to and document leveraged resources within the project budget. Leveraged resources may be in the form of financial support or in-kind services. In-kind services are services that are provided to enhance the project at no charge or at discounted charges.

Leveraged resources must:

• Contribute to the success of the project.
• Strengthen partnerships for future outreach.
• Promote the sustainability of the project.

All leveraged resources must be identified by source. Leveraged resources may be obtained from:

• LWDB formula dollars.
• businesses or business groups.
• Philanthropic organizations
• Educational institutions (public/private).
• Other sources to contribute financially to the project, including cross-regional collaboration.

Comprehensive Employment, Education and Training and Individual Training Account Waiver Policy
Pursuant to the REACH Act, the state board approved a Comprehensive Employment, Education, and Training Strategic Policy requiring LWDBs to use all allowable and available resources to create simplified access, strengthen partnerships to leverage multiple sources of funding to provide services and eliminate duplication of services. 

The Governor’s vision for increasing access to training and opportunities for individuals is anchored in state statute which requires 50% of the formula funds for adults and dislocated workers to be allocated to Individual Training Accounts (ITA). This requirement affirms the Governor’s vision that most funds are allocated for direct training-related costs. Costs that qualify under the 50% rule include all customer service costs associated with the ITA program such as tuition, fees and books, supportive services, and other training services. Florida allows LWDBs to establish ITA limits and durations.

The Individual Training Account Expenditure Requirements and Waiver Request Process Administrative Policy outlines the requirements to LWDBs for Individual Training Account expenditures and the procedures to obtain a waiver from CareerSource Florida. Under unusual circumstances, local boards may obtain a waiver from the State ITA reserve requirement by applying to FloridaCommerce. For consideration of a waiver from the State ITA reserve requirement and to guide the review process by FloridaCommerce and CareerSource Florida, the requesting LWDB must submit a waiver application identifying the requested reduction from the statutorily required State ITA reserve, specifying the percentage (between 0 and 50%) of Title I funds for Adults and Dislocated Workers that the local area proposes to reserve for the required training services. This request must include supporting data describing how the reserved training funds will be spent for State ITAs and each of the other authorized training services, and how the diverted training funds will be spent for other services.

Documentation must substantiate the lack of demand for each authorized training service; the substantially greater demand for career services and business services, relative to training services; the qualitative and quantitative financial impact that the statutorily required State ITA reserve requirement has on the provision of services for clients seeking or receiving training services; or the exceptional circumstances that warrant granting a waiver.

Factors FloridaCommerce and CareerSource Florida may consider in deciding to grant an ITA waiver may include whether the local area is contractually obligated or is seeking participation in a training program funded by a partner for which the LWDB will provide career services; whether the local area is contractually obligated or is seeking participation in a major economic development initiative of regional impact that will result in significant job creation, to the extent the initiative does not interfere with the priority of services to other clients as required by federal law; or whether the local area is entirely contained within a statutorily designated Rural Area of Critical Economic Concern (RACEC).

LWDBs requesting a waiver from the State ITA requirement must submit a budget (or proposed budget) showing program components and major breakouts for each program including one-stop services, training providers, supportive services, administrative costs, etc.; a description of how the current and long-term unemployment rate for the local area will be impacted by a waiver, should it be approved; documents identifying the local area’s efforts to increase demand from individuals to meet market needs (to address the talent gap); documentation that the LWDB and the chief elected official approved the waiver request; and an agreement that, if the conditions warranting the waiver change, the local area commits to comply with the State ITA reserve requirement and will notify CareerSource Florida of such compliance.

The State Workforce Development board identified that job seekers seeking training require more support than tuition payments to engage in training services. Examples of barriers to training include transportation, childcare, the need for income, etc. CareerSource Florida Administrative Policy 109 – Supportive Services and Needs-Related Payments governing the use of supportive services and needs-related payments provides LWDBs with requirements for ensuring supportive services and needs-related payments are provided to eligible WIOA participants and defines the requirements for establishing local operating procedures that govern supportive services and needs-related payments. Additionally, the state board directed FloridaCommerce to include supportive services and needs-related payments in the state-level requirement for 50% training expenditure rate.

Pre-ETS
FDBS and VR each allocate a minimum of 15% of their federal allotment to Pre-ETS for all students with disabilities who are eligible or potentially eligible for these services. Students who are eligible or potentially eligible may receive starting at age 14. Recent legislation prescribes starting the discussion about transition as early as age 12. The Division provides through the age of 21, if the student receives special education or related services under part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and/or if the individual has a disability, for purposes of Section 504 of the Act.