Florida Governor Rick Scott has been making changes in the education system for years, from the new FSA testing to trying to increase per student funding. Now he has set his eyes on vocational education and he’s announced his new #CareerInAYear plan at Miami Lakes Educational Center.
Scott, alongside his Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez Cantera, were welcomed by Principal Parker and accompanied by Miami-Dade superintendent Alberto Carvalho at MLEC, where he toured several of the programs and strands offered and thanked those that made it all possible.
The governor and those in attendance recognized MLEC as the prime example of what a vocational program should be like and that job-specific education is what should be sought out amongst schools.
“Somehow, everyone started talking only about college, ” said Carvalho, who has been superintendent of Miami-Dade for seven years and has made strides to change the education system. “That should not happen at the expense of vocational education.”
During his address to the student body, Scott emphasized the importance of vocational education and his new $20 million dollar funding initiative.
With this grant program, Scott plans to put money into vocational education, calling the movement #CareerInAYear with the hope that 940,000 jobs could open with more funding to vocational programs in the near future.
“Everybody is here because they want to be here,” said Scott, speaking to both high school and adult students alike. “You can see the excitement here, because in less than a year, these students can get a great job.”
Automotive and Air Conditioning strands were able to show off their hand on experience as Scott walked through metal scraps and car engines to shake hands with the students and teachers that have made the programs possible. The governor was also able to sample food by the Culinary Strand.
Scott awarded several automotive students the Governor Excellence in Technical Education Award and recognized Nelson Martin from Toyota for helping the program get off the ground with contributions from the private sector.
Alongside students, administrators were also given their dues.
“Carvalho is always striving to do more, sometimes with less,” said Lopez Cantera, commending the Miami-Dade Superintendent for his work in promoting vocational programs. Scott did the same, emphasizing Carvalho’s persistence in making sure everyone who attended school ended up with a great career.
Parker was also given recognition for his over ten years of work at MLEC, receiving the Governor’s Shine Award. Scott spoke that he strives to make programs similar to those held in MLEC and thanked Parker for his years of making Miami Tech what it is today.
“You have a great education, you have a great private sector, you have great teachers,” said Scott. “And you can see the success of the students.”
Check out this video on the event:
