Transcript Highlights:

• Tina Moore, Director of Workforce Development, Division of Higher Education.
• I'm just state for workforce development-wise.
• And so the Career Education and Workforce Development Board there oversees the funding and determines
• But working with them to ensure that OSD funds and workforce challenge funds, all those things in the
• But working with them to ensure that OSD funds and workforce challenge funds, all those things in the

Summary: The committee approved the November 3 minutes and then received an extensive presentation from Arkansas education and workforce officials on how the LEARNS and ACCESS Acts are affecting career and technical education, concurrent enrollment, and postsecondary readiness. Officials said the state’s goal is for students to leave high school employed, enrolled, or enlisted, and reported increases in K-12 CTE enrollment from about 161,000 to 171,000 students and concurrent CTE enrollment from about 12,000 to 16,000. They also described the new success-ready pathways, merit and distinction designations, and how those measures tie into school accountability and graduation outcomes. The discussion then turned to scholarships and grants. Officials explained that ACCESS expanded concurrent credit support, increased funding per credit hour, and broadened eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge and Governor’s Scholar programs by adding diploma-of-merit and diploma-of-distinction pathways. They said the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship itself did not change, but the non-distinguished Governor’s Scholar award now includes diploma of distinction as an additional eligibility route. Members raised concerns about how these requirements apply to private school and homeschool students, and officials said the intent is to ensure those students can qualify if they meet the same standards, though some implementation details are still being worked out. Questions also focused on whether students who explore multiple pathways could be penalized in school letter grades; officials said the system allows multiple ways to earn credit, including AP, IB, concurrent credit, technical certificates, and apprenticeships. Officials also reviewed workforce scholarships and short-term training funding. They said the state is developing policy for the Workforce Challenge and related professional skills training to set an 80-hour minimum and tiered funding, and they discussed the new federal Workforce Pell rules, which they said are very narrow and will likely apply to only a small number of Arkansas programs unless providers repackage training into stackable, credit-bearing pathways. Members asked for lists of eliminated programs, apprenticeships, and data on scholarship recipients, and staff said they could provide those. The committee also heard from Cody Waites on a $35.8 million U.S. Department of Labor cooperative agreement for the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund, which Arkansas will administer nationally. He said the grant will support advanced manufacturing apprenticeships, use a pay-for-performance model, and be distributed to sponsors after apprentices are employed for 90 days, with applications opening January 28 and the state expecting to keep administrative costs under 8-9%.

Transcript Highlights:

• the Housing Development Fund.
• Primarily, the fund funds workforce housing.
• to the Capital Development and Reserve Fund.
• I am wondering about the capital development and reserve funds. Is that a new fund?
• development and reserve fund.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• 2 The Committee on Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development.
• , Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development. all connected.
• The first is workforce development.
• Workforce development, its annual budget is about $538 million in federal funds. and about 71, little
• And we like to say you can't have economic development without workforce development.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, it is supposed to be from the Workforce Development Fund, not the general fund.
• , not the the Workforce Development Fund, not the general<00:59:07.280> fund.
• The workforce development fund.
• Um and to my workforce development fund.
• fiscal the workforce development fund in fiscal the workforce development fund in fiscal year

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So I look forward to expanding arts funding, tourism funding, economic development and all the rest.
• We have 3 main divisions, economic development, community development and workforce services.
• Together, the divisions of community development, economic development and workforce services worked
• A portion of these funds are used to support careersource Florida and each of the local workforce development
• Florida Commerce provided funding and Careersource Florida developed a framework for those funds to ensure

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• monitoring, as well as economic and workforce development.
• in workforce development, as well as our Secretary Kelly.
• Workforce development, again, key to our... Or underserved.
• Workforce development, again, key to our future and the money we've invested thus far to create those
• We've been working with our CareerSource Florida team as well as the local workforce boards to develop

Summary: The Committee on Commerce and Tourism met briefly and first announced that Senate Bill 232 by Senator Rodriguez was temporarily postponed at the sponsor’s request. The main item was a presentation from Leo Garcia of the Office of Broadband on Florida’s broadband programs, current deployment progress, and upcoming funding opportunities. Garcia said the office is administering multiple grant programs that have awarded hundreds of millions of dollars for broadband infrastructure, community facilities, and digital device access, with a focus on rural areas, workforce development, and digital literacy. He also described the state’s strategic plan and partnerships with local governments, ISPs, workforce boards, community colleges, and community action agencies. Garcia explained that Florida has already deployed over 1,100 miles of fiber and enabled about 4,300 connections, and said the remaining unserved and underserved locations should drop significantly by the end of 2026 before the BEAD program addresses the rest. He said BEAD is a fully federal program for Florida, providing $1.16 billion from NTIA, with most of it reserved for infrastructure and additional amounts for workforce training and cybersecurity/digital literacy. He noted that Florida is prioritizing fiber but will also use fixed wireless or satellite where fiber is not cost-effective or feasible. He also said the office is seeking additional spending authority for the Digital Capacity Grant Program. Members asked about county coverage, especially Duval County, and Garcia said Duval and Monroe had not yet received funds because they currently have limited unserved or underserved areas, but they are expected to be addressed through BEAD and related workforce and literacy efforts. Senator Davis raised permitting delays as a major challenge, and Garcia said the office is exploring ways to help local communities process permits more quickly. Senator Wright asked about competition with satellite-based broadband providers, and Garcia said the state is technology-agnostic but prioritizes fiber for reliability. There were no public comments, no votes or formal actions taken, and the meeting adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• , also from the Workforce Development Fund.
• , also from the Workforce Development Fund.
• , also from the Workforce Development Fund.
• > to<00:41:21.800> the Workforce Development Fund also to the Workforce Development Fund also
• fund of the workforce develop Vel ment fund of the workforce develop Vel ment fund that<00:51:58.200

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we'll learn more about funding for the Florida College System and for workforce development programs
• For workforce development funding, the colleges and districts receive an appropriation that is allocated
• workforce development funding models.
• For the 11 districts that do not receive workforce development funds, the sole provider of workforce
• workforce development funds.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Subcommittee met to review funding models for the Florida College System and district workforce education programs, with an emphasis on how new dollars are allocated in the program fund and how performance and targeted funding are incorporated. Chancellor Hebda explained the Florida College System model, including base program funding, student success and pipeline funds, performance incentives for industry certifications, and the 2022 president-developed formula that weights enrollment, workforce enrollment, completions, small-college factors, and regional cost differences, plus a targeted funding floor for colleges below a minimum per-FTE level. Vice Chancellor Goodman then outlined the district workforce model, which uses lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local revenue offsets, small-district adjustments, and unmet-need calculations to distribute lump-sum appropriations to school districts offering workforce education. The department also provided updates on several grant programs and funding delays. Goodman said the Workforce Development Incentive Grant, Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant, Graduation Alternative to Traditional Education Startup Grant, and teacher apprenticeship/mentor bonus programs all involve multi-year awards and often require reversions and reappropriations because projects are delayed, extended, or not fully obligated by year-end. She said the department is moving toward an electronic grants system and had already adjusted internal deadlines to speed awards, while acknowledging some reimbursement delays and explaining that mentor bonuses for teacher apprentices will not be paid until the first cohort reaches the statutory timing requirement. Members asked about tracking whether CTE students work in their trained fields, how Xello is used to inform students about career pathways, how FTE is calculated, whether the funding formulas could encourage growth over quality, and how students with disabilities are counted in workforce funding. Questions also focused on tuition, enrollment trends, and the gap between college and university funding. The committee heard that tuition has remained flat for more than a decade, enrollment has rebounded from COVID and is projected to exceed pre-pandemic levels, and the college system’s funding per FTE varies widely. Valencia College President Kathleen Plinsky testified in support of the proposed formula and an additional $200 million for the Florida College System, saying Valencia is the second-largest college in the state but ranks last in per-FTE funding, which has made it difficult to recruit and retain faculty and admit qualified students in high-demand programs like nursing. The committee took no vote and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Senate File 381 provides a $750,000 one-time investment from the Workforce Development Fund to support
• Senate File 381 provides a $750,000 one-time investment from the Workforce Development Fund to support
• Senate File 381 provides a $750,000 one-time investment from the Workforce Development Fund to support
• investment from the Workforce investment from the Workforce Development<00:02:32.319> Fund
• <00:10:26.079> development<00:10:26.640> fund um from the workforce development fund

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• So CareerSource, Space Florida, Visit Florida, the Florida Opportunity Fund, the Florida Development
• So CareerSource, Space Florida, Visit Florida, the Florida Opportunity Fund, the Florida Development
• We created the mindset that our partners, especially local economic and workforce development partners
• state, the governor's support, your support of investments in workforce education funding—something
• It's a stakeholder economic and workforce development resources page.

Summary: The Careers and Workforce Subcommittee met for its first meeting of the year, took roll, and heard member introductions centered on the importance of workforce pathways beyond the traditional four-year college route. Members repeatedly emphasized manufacturing, trades, rural workforce needs, apprenticeships, and helping students and adults find multiple paths to good jobs. The chair outlined the subcommittee’s focus on policies that build a skilled workforce and announced the day’s theme would be manufacturing, with presentations from the Florida Department of Commerce, the Florida Semiconductor Institute, and Fleet Force CDL training. Secretary Alex Kelly presented Florida’s manufacturing report, saying manufacturing is a major economic driver and that Florida has become the 10th largest state in manufacturing employment. He highlighted strong job multipliers, rapid growth in manufacturing GDP and establishments, the importance of logistics and ports, and the state’s small-business-heavy manufacturing base. He also stressed the aging manufacturing workforce, the need for modern skills such as robotics, cybersecurity, and data analytics, and the role of public-private partnerships, apprenticeships, and workforce education investments in supporting reshoring and industry growth. Dr. David Arnold described Florida’s semiconductor sector and the Florida Semiconductor Institute’s mission to grow research, workforce, and ecosystem development. He said semiconductors are strategically important, Florida ranks fifth nationally in semiconductor workforce, and the main bottleneck is mid-level technician talent rather than engineers or entry-level workers. He pointed to NeoCity, Valencia College, and other regional partnerships as models, and said the state needs more proactive planning, better instructor capacity, and stronger pathways from K-12 through postsecondary. Evan Agiloff of Fleet Force discussed Florida’s CDL shortage, saying trucking is essential to the supply chain, Florida has about 18,000 open CDL positions, and Fleet Force’s college-based model can quickly move students into middle-class jobs. Members asked about apprenticeships, CTE pathways, semiconductor training, infrastructure needs, and how to expand and better fund workforce programs; no votes were taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• So again, this document shows a summary of the general fund and the workforce development fund on lines
• And then I'll go down to lines 188 and 189, which represent the Workforce Development Fund funding
• Development Fund funding the Workforce Development Fund funding in<00:15:01.760> this<00:15:01.920
• division. on line 34 from the workforce division. on line 34 from the workforce development fund
• development funds, and then the House makes workforce development funds available to the Job Skills

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But by and large, the largest funding category that supports them is the workforce development education
• The workforce development education fund category is what I'll be talking about in the funding model
• development fund category.
• In terms of recent history and district... the workforce development fund category.
• In terms of recent history and district workforce development funds, you will see here, with the line

Summary: The Appropriations Committee for Higher Education met to review Florida’s workforce and Florida College System funding models as part of budget planning. Chair Harrell opened by emphasizing the state’s growing focus on technical education and workforce pathways, and the committee first heard from Tara Goodman of the Department of Education on district workforce education. Goodman explained the programs funded through district workforce dollars, including career certificates, applied technology diplomas, registered apprenticeship, and adult general education, and described the model’s reliance on lagged enrollment, program cost weights, local tuition offsets, and supplemental factors such as disability services, GED testing, and minimum funding for small rural districts. She also noted federal support through Perkins and WIOA and said the model is used to determine unmet need and guide appropriations. In response to questions, she said health care programs are generally among the higher-cost offerings and may be supplemented by pipeline funds. The committee then heard from Kathy Hebda, Chancellor of the Florida College System, on the college system’s funding model. Hebda described the main funding sources, including the program fund, student success incentive funds, pipeline funds, tuition and fees, and performance-based incentives, and explained that the current model was developed by the 28 college presidents under legislative direction. She said the model uses a three-year average FTE, weights workforce enrollment more heavily than non-workforce enrollment, gives significant weight to completions, includes a small-college factor and regional cost differentials, and also provides targeted funding to bring colleges up to a floor based on per-FTE funding. Senators asked about colleges below the target, cost differences among programs, faculty salaries, and health insurance costs; Hebda said the model is meant to provide flexible operating dollars that colleges can use for those expenses, but specific salary and benefit decisions are left to the institutions. Seminole State College President Georgia Lorenz also testified in support of the college funding model, saying it holds institutions accountable for enrollment and completions, can be adjusted to reflect state priorities like workforce, and addresses differences in size and regional costs. No bills were voted on, and the committee adjourned after brief closing remarks thanking Seminole State College and the presenters.

Transcript Highlights:

• for district Workforce education programs come from the Workforce Development Fund provided through
• Now that we've talked about our workforce for workforce education, funding for technical colleges and
• The largest share of our state investment comes through that Workforce Development Fund which flow to
• This chart before you illustrates the workforce development funds allocated to school districts over
• development funding has grown by 23.5% reflecting a strong state commitment to supporting workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• to fund the development of the workforce housing and the state authorizing fee for the Committee of
• The Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development.
• Consent for the Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development.
• of those funds for authorizing fees for the Committee on Trade, Workforce and Economic Development.
• Of Coffin ruling the use of skills development fund by certain entities or for the subcommittee and workforce

Transcript Highlights:

• Career education strengthens Florida's economy by developing a skilled workforce, supporting high-demand
• And that's been the use of the workforce development capitalization incentive grant.
• In conclusion, BBTC's commitment to CTE and workforce development remains unwavering.
• So this funding enables us to address that shortage and address that need and develop the curriculum
• But continued investments in workforce development are going to attract new business.

Summary: The Education Postsecondary Committee met to hear an overview of Florida career and technical education (CTE) from Chancellor Kevin O’Farrell and presentations from Big Bend Technical College and Santa Fe College. O’Farrell described Florida’s CTE structure, including career clusters, postsecondary program types, enrollment and completion growth, apprenticeship expansion, and the state’s credentials review process. He said postsecondary CTE enrollment is near 480,000 students and completions reached a record 76,806, with strong growth in nursing, law enforcement, EMT, and other public-safety credentials. He also discussed the CTE audit, which uses retention/success, employment or continued education, and labor-market demand metrics; programs not meeting thresholds would eventually require phase-out plans beginning in 2026. He highlighted the workforce development capitalization grant as a major driver of program expansion and facility renovation, and answered questions about business outreach, construction trades, apprenticeships, and space-industry training. Shelby McCall of Big Bend Technical College described how the college responded to hurricanes, mill closures, and regional economic disruption by expanding rural workforce training. She highlighted aluminum welding, millwright, welding technology, health sciences, and a new advanced manufacturing facility funded by state grants and local partnerships, along with a new LPN-to-RN bridge program. She said the college has strong placement and certification results and is working with employers such as Lippert, NAMO, and others to align training with local demand. Senator Simon praised the college’s role in Taylor County’s recovery and workforce development. Dr. Paul Brody of Santa Fe College said state workforce grants have helped the college expand nursing, skilled trades, apprenticeship, automotive, diesel, and manufacturing programs, including partnerships with Bradford County Technical College, UF Health, Habitat for Humanity, and local employers. He reported growth in CTE enrollment, nursing credentials, apprenticeship enrollment, and job placement rates, and described new efforts in semiconductor training, CDL training, and a charter school model that combines high school, an AS degree, and industry credentials. The committee took no formal action beyond hearing the presentations and adjourned after Senator Berman moved to adjourn.

Transcript Highlights:

• This session we're focusing mainly on workforce development, um, on education, small business, technical
• This session we're focusing mainly on workforce development, um, on education, small business, technical
• This session we're focusing mainly on workforce development, um, on education, small business, technical
• This session we're focusing mainly on workforce development, um, on education, small business, technical
• focusing mainly on workforce focusing mainly on workforce development,<00:05:24.400> um,<

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Director of Workforce Development, Division of Higher Education.
• Arkansas workforce needs and through the review with the Career Education and Workforce Development
• Development Board there oversees the funding and determines it.
• development board there oversees the funding and determines it so they've had for years a tiered funding
• and workforce challenge funds, all those things, address the entire landscape of workforce education

Summary: The committee first approved the November 3 minutes, then received an extensive update from Arkansas Division of Higher Education and Division of Career and Technical Education officials on LEARNS and ACCESS implementation. Witnesses said the state’s goal is for students to graduate employed, enrolled, or enlisted, and described expanded career pathways, student success plans, merit and distinction diplomas, and school accountability measures tied to pathway completion and tangible credentials. They reported increases in K-12 CTE enrollment and concurrent enrollment, and explained that some secondary career center programs were reduced or eliminated because they no longer aligned with state workforce demand. Members asked detailed questions about how merit/distinction affects school letter grades, how AP, concurrent credit, CTE completers, apprenticeships, and work-based learning fit into the system, and whether homeschool and private school students can access the same opportunities. Officials said multiple pathways can satisfy the requirements, including AP Scholar, concurrent credit, technical certificates, and apprenticeships, and that counselors are being trained to advise students. They also discussed scholarship changes: ACCESS broadened eligibility for the Arkansas Academic Challenge and Governor’s Scholar awards, with diploma of merit or distinction now qualifying students for additional aid, while the Governor’s Distinguished Scholarship itself remained unchanged. Questions were raised about whether homeschool and private school students can meet the new diploma-of-distinction criteria; officials said the intent is to make them eligible if they meet the same standards, and that guidance is being finalized. The discussion also covered workforce scholarships and grants. Officials said the Workforce Challenge was expanded to include vocational-technical schools and increased funding, and that the Division is reworking policy around “professional skills training” to support shorter-term, stackable programs. They reviewed the new federal Workforce Pell Grant, noting its narrow hour and duration limits and the need for programs to meet completion, placement, and earnings thresholds. Members also asked about the state lottery scholarship fund balance and whether more aid should be directed to students; officials said the fund remains healthy and that ACCESS has already increased awards and expanded eligibility, with more implementation data still to come. The final presentation came from the Director of Workforce Connections on a $35.8 million U.S. Department of Labor cooperative agreement for the American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund. Arkansas will administer the national fund, which is aimed at expanding advanced manufacturing registered apprenticeships across the country through a pay-for-performance model. Officials said the program will support occupations in aerospace, automotive, biotech, maritime, nuclear, semiconductors, supply chain, and automation, and that applications will open soon. Members asked who can apply and how the money will be distributed; the answer was that registered apprenticeship sponsors—sometimes companies, sometimes colleges, sometimes intermediaries—will apply, with Arkansas setting eligibility criteria, vendor requirements, and outreach efforts.

Transcript Highlights:

• The Texas University Fund, or TUF, is a constitutional fund that provides research funding to certain
• As Techno... development continues to disrupt the workforce and industries, it's imperative that our
• The funding has also allowed UH to Seattle to establish new academic initiatives, to support workforce
• funding.
• workforce shortage in Texas. unwavering commitment to the students of Texas is to develop maintain a

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Sure, workforce development, development is very critical in this field also.
• Workforce development is a big thing, right?
• The Texas Healthcare Workforce Fund is designed to put that same vision and foresight into our workforce
• That is why the Texas Healthcare Workforce fund needs to be an endowed fund that will produce revenue
• Uh, House Bill 5265 creates the Healthcare Workforce Education Fund, an additional fund to support expansion

Transcript Highlights:

• funds or workforce development general funds or workforce development funds.<00:42:44.000> Senator
• the workforce development fund. the workforce development fund.
• from general fund to workforce development fund.
• workforce development development fund. workforce development development fund.
• So just for workforce development fund.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all