Osceola County in Florida has approved the use of $859,078 in Coronavirus Relief Funds to pay for more than 300 residents to receive job skills training at Valencia College by December, reports the Orlando Business Journal.
Courses that are available through the school's Accelerated Skills Training (AST) programs include:
- Commercial truck driving
- Electronic board assembly operator
- Medical office specialist
- Clinical medical assisting
- Distribution operations technician
- Also available under the Accelerated Skills Training program will be enrollment in an English as a Second Language (ESOL) program or Intensive English Program (IEP).
“This is an ideal partnership because Valencia’s AST programs have proven they provide accelerated pathways to high wage employment in desirable industries that are just what so many of our residents impacted by Covid-19 need right now,” Osceola County Commission Chairwoman Viviana Janer said in a prepared statement. “It is ideal that these programs offer a quick turnaround, flexible curriculum and a pipeline that connects employers to highly skilled employees.”
Osceola County is currently the worst county in the state for unemployment in September at 13.3%, according to the most recent data from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
Valencia College is not the only local education organization that has partnered with a county to provide training opportunities, reports the OBJ. Seminole County during its Sept. 23 county commission meeting approved over $455,221 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds for Seminole State College of Florida, which includes money to help 90 students complete certificates in accounting specialist, business specialist, or office support programs at the college by December.
Orange County has provided $7 million in CARES Act funds to CareerSource Central Florida to help 4,000 residents with services such as career counseling, job placement and more. The "Help is Here" program also includes opportunities for scholarships for local training programs through schools such as Orange Technical College or Valencia College.
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