High school students interested in pursuing trades and apprenticeship programs upon graduation might have better opportunities and more incentives with a new bill introduced in the Florida Legislature. Representative Kim Kendall (R-St. Johns) introduced HB 571, titled “Career Planning Opportunities,” on Feb. 19. It would enhance career-planning opportunities and the integration of apprenticeships into educational credits for students in Florida.
In a statement, Kendall described the path into trades after graduation as on par with pursuing a four-year degree.
“Some students will go into the trades and continue into management within the trades,” Kendall said. “This is not a lesser path; it’s simply a different path.”
Kendall also emphasized the need for public schools in Florida to expand opportunities for the trades upon graduation.
“Currently, we have limitations within Florida’s Pre K-20 educational system,” Kendall said. “And we need to facilitate these career planning opportunities. It is incredibly important to do all we can to open every door for our students to benefit not just them but also our industries and our communities.”
HB 571 would mandate that work-based learning opportunities be scheduled to maximize student access and participation. The bill would also require high schools to provide career fairs that offer interviews with employers having registered pre apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs.
High schools in Leon County already offer career fairs for students interested in pursuing trades after graduation. Local Leon County and City of Tallahassee service providers and schools like Lively Technical College set up booths and send representatives to talk to students about those opportunities.
The bill would demand that students’ personalized academic and career plans be annually reviewed and updated throughout their high school years with necessary signatures from the student, a guardian and a counselor.
The Florida Board of Governors and the State Department of Education would also have to adopt regulations for awarding post-secondary credit and career education clock hours for apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship training. The articulation coordinating committee would also develop post-secondary course equivalences for apprenticeship programs.
Finally, state universities, the Florida college system and career centers must also award credit or clock hours based on these equivalencies with guarantees for statewide transfer.
Matthew Godwin, a member of the inaugural cohort of the Leon County EMT apprenticeship program during his senior year of high school in 2022, says the program helped him figure out what he wanted to do after graduation.
“When I applied in 2022,” Godwin said. “I filled out an application, including an essay about why I wanted to be in the program. Shortly after, I was called to schedule an interview for the position. After my interview, when I was accepted and filled out all of my paperwork with county HR, I started working.”
Godwin said in the previous interview that he did various tasks as an apprentice, including working with ambulances and getting to ride along once a week. Godwin said he would work Monday-Friday after school from 2-5 p.m. while also getting paid through the apprenticeship.
“The apprenticeship program is not a substitute for a four-year degree,” Godwin said. “As an apprentice, I had the opportunity to gain real-world experience and start building connections with the department I wanted to work for. However, the program did not provide any sort of credit toward a degree. Once I finished the program, I still went to TCC to get my EMT certification like anyone else would.”
Godwin says the apprenticeship program still provided intangible benefits despite not receiving any credit.
“When I applied to Leon County EMS, I was interviewed by familiar faces that I had already worked with,” Godwin said. “When I started as the new EMT, I already knew most of the command staff and had a warm welcome back. I think this is the biggest advantage of the program: getting experience building connections and getting to try out a career field you’re thinking about before committing to a degree path.”
Godwin says that this past semester, Godby High School began a dual enrollment EMT program with Tallahassee State College and that this is the first school to offer this in Leon County. Godwin says he has had a couple of new students for clinical while working and that they seem eager to learn.
HB 571 was assigned to the House Careers and Workforce Committee. A similar bill in the Senate, SB 1040, by Republican Corey Simon (District 3), was filed on Monday.