Earlier this
year, FloridaMakes announced a new strategic partnership with the
Florida
Ready to Work program.
As a part of this partnership, Florida Makes is the first statewide association
to add Florida Ready to Work’s essential soft skills training to their required
apprenticeship curriculum.
“Apprenticeship
programs are integral to FloridaMakes’ mission of improving the performance of
Florida’s manufacturing sector, because they help manufacturers find and
develop needed talent,” said Kevin Carr, FloridaMakes CEO. “However,
most apprenticeship programs focus on the hard skills that are needed to
effectively operate within a manufacturing environment. That’s why we’re
excited to partner with Florida Ready to Work, adding their soft skills
training to our apprenticeship program curricula, which will provide
apprentices with the necessary foundational skills to build successful
careers.”
FloridaMakes
recognizes that the lack of essential employability skills is a barrier to job
and economic growth in the state. In 2020, the Florida Chamber of Commerce surveyed businesses and found that more than 80%
of Florida business leaders “emphasized the importance of employability
skills. These skills which include communication, critical thinking and problem
solving are universally valuable work competencies that are essential to
adapting to shifting demands within and between careers.”
“Manufacturing is one of our state’s major
industries and is offering endless career pathways for Floridians. We applaud
FloridaMakes for their forward-thinking vision and are proud to help them
maximize their apprenticeship programs and meet employers’ demands. By
utilizing the state of Florida’s free online career readiness training and
credentialing solution, manufacturing apprentices will not only walk away with
the technical skills needed for a productive career in manufacturing, but the
essential soft skills and foundational employability skills needed to succeed
and advance,” said Colleen Englert, Florida Ready to Work Executive
Director.
As a part of
the strategic partnership, FloridaMakes will utilize Florida Ready to Work’s
career readiness and essential soft skills training in all apprenticeship
Related Technical Instruction (RTI) curricula beginning this year. FloridaMakes
apprentices will have the opportunity to sharpen their skills and earn the
Florida Soft Skills Credential. Through the training provided by Florida Ready
to Work, apprentices will learn and enhance their ability to communicate
effectively, convey professionalism, promote teamwork and collaboration, and
think critically and solve problems.
“It is critical
that individuals who choose a career in manufacturing are not only dependable,
but also possess strong communication skills and the ability to flourish in a
team environment,” said Abe Alangadan, FloridaMakes board member and senior
project portfolio manager for Johnson & Johnson Vision, based in
Jacksonville, Florida. “Not being proficient in any one of these areas can
contribute to major mishaps on a manufacturing line, causing unfortunate cost
and time delays, with potential safety implications. This is why prioritizing
these essential soft skills in apprenticeship programs is important, and I’m
happy that FloridaMakes is focused on these areas in their partnership with the
state-sponsored Florida Ready to Work program.”
Florida is home to more than 22,000 manufacturing companies and accounts
for 4.95% of Florida’s Gross State Product. Establishing and maintaining a
strong workforce is key to growing this important industry and continuing to
diversify Florida’s economy.
The partnership between FloridaMakes and Florida Ready to Work is
designed to raise awareness of the Florida Ready to Work program with Florida
manufacturers while promoting FloridaMakes as a leader in providing quality
educational opportunities for the future of Florida’s manufacturing workforce.
If you are
interested in learning more about Florida Ready to Work or would like to implement
the essential soft skills training into your curriculum, please visit FloridaReadytoWork.com
or contact Tiffany Vause, Director of Strategic Initiatives at tvause@floridareadytowork.com.
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