Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Education (DOE), the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and CareerSource Florida celebrate Workforce Development Month in Florida. Workforce Development Month recognizes all workforce professionals, agencies and organizations who have helped thousands of Floridians find gainful employment and are contributing to Florida’s economic success.  

“Florida remains a state where businesses are encouraged to grow and where meaningful jobs are created,” said Governor DeSantis. “With our Bold Vision for a Brighter Future budget, we are helping to provide Floridians with opportunities to achieve economic prosperity through expanded apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, affordable workforce housing, recovery workforce training grants and the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund.”

To support workforce development, the state of Florida administers more than 15 workforce training programs to help develop a highly-skilled workforce. A list of workforce training programs can be found here.   

“Governor DeSantis and his administration have paved the way for Florida to be No. 1 in workforce education by 2030,” said DEO Executive Director Ken Lawson. “We will continue to prioritize developing a highly-skilled and dynamic workforce that meets all employer needs. Florida’s workforce is one of the state’s greatest assets for expanding economic opportunities.”

Florida’s labor force continues to grow, and Floridians feel confident about entering the workforce. In July 2019, 128,000 people entered the labor force over the year at an annual growth rate of 1.3 percent, and the number of employed Floridians increased to more than 10 million.

“Florida’s workforce development professionals applaud Governor DeSantis for prioritizing workforce education and training through Executive Order 19-31 and the Department of Education’s Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program to ensure Florida’s continued competitiveness in the global economy,” said President and CEO of CareerSource Florida Michelle Dennard. “The CareerSource Florida network is dedicated to supporting the Governor’s priorities for Florida’s economic growth, including expanding apprenticeships, growing well-paying careers and strengthening Florida businesses.”  

“Governor Ron DeSantis has delivered on his promise to expand opportunities build a strong workforce in Florida,” said DOE Commissioner Richard Corcoran. “As a result, Florida is on track to be the best state in the nation for workforce education by 2030. The significance of this cannot be overstated, this is when our current second graders will be graduating high school. Diversifying workforce education programs will continue to expand opportunities for Florida families and will allow hard workers to be set up for success.”

To view Governor DeSantis’ proclamation for Workforce Development Month in Florida, please click here.

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