Virtually all state higher education institutions have programs specifically tailored to generate talent for area employers. The following are examples of those efforts from across the state.
- UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA, Orlando
UCF’s founding in 1963 was rooted in preparing a workforce for the space race, with the school dubbing itself “Space U.” Now, nearly 30% of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center employees are UCF alumni, and more than 30 are working on the Artemis 1 mission to return astronauts to the moon.
UCF also partners with aerospace contractor Lockheed Martin on a work experience program. Students don’t receive credits but do get paid for two consecutive semesters of work — ranging from 15 to 25 hours per week — inside one of two Orlando Lockheed locations. The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students, with nearly 60% of the 650 students who participate each year landing job offers upon graduation.
For students who prefer more of a fantasy world, UCF’s highly regarded game design programs help 85% of graduates land jobs in the industry with a mean starting salary of $81,300. Gaming giant Electronic Arts moved to Orlando’s Creative Village in 2022 and partners with UCF’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy.
- FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY, Fort Myers
Florida Gulf Coast offers a micro-credential/digital badge for a course in the fundamentals of the medical device industry. It’s part of a partnership with Arthrex, Collier County’s largest corporate employer. The Naples-based company says it “pioneered the field of arthroscopy and develops more than 1,000 innovative products and procedures each year.”
In the course, which is open to all majors, students go to Arthrex offices to learn about product development and management, along with health care and medical providers’ needs. “More than 500 FGCU graduates are now Arthrex employees, which has sustained our ability to invest and grow in Southwest Florida,” says Arthrex founder and president Reinhold Schmieding.
FCGU also partners with Lee Health in a six-week program for health care professionals. Those who complete the program, which focuses on soft skills like empathy, teamwork and communication, are promised an interview with Lee Health.
Students can use the badges to show employers where they have gained skills and competencies.
- FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Melbourne
This private university on Florida’s Space Coast has generated thousands of graduates working in STEM-related fields, largely serving the space industry.
It created a “Level Up” program that offers master’s degrees in systems engineering, engineering management and business administration for working professionals. There’s a three-hour, after-work and in-person class once a week augmented by online instruction. More than 250 people have graduated from the programs, and 60 students signed up for last fall’s classes.
More than 130 Florida Tech students have graduated from a master’s degree program with a systems engineering focus created in partnership with L3Harris Technologies. More than 40 students registered for the current academic year.
Florida Tech’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing and Innovative Design in Palm Bay focuses on workforce training through hands-on workshops in computer-aided design, programming, fabrication and business development. Students have access to specialized 3-D printers.
Florida Tech also created an online career readiness course to help students develop the soft skills like effective communication and critical thinking that are needed to be successful.
- FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, Miami
FIU was one of the first universities designated as a U.S. Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence in a program funded by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. This designation allowed FIU to create a fellowship led by the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy for students interested in intelligence careers.
Students can earn certificates in National Security Studies or Cybersecurity Intelligence and Information Policy as well as participate in professional development workshops and mentoring from former and current intelligence-community professionals.
Faculty in FIU’s College of Business Information Systems and Business Analytics department created the ATOM Think Tank (Analytics, Technology, Optimal Learning and Mentorship) to try narrowing the gap students may have between theory and practice, especially when it comes to technology and research.
Students can participate in a semester-long program that has them research and pitch “real-world data-driven” projects to professional mentors. The program also features guest lectures, expert panel discussions and pitches that let students showcase their expertise to recruiters.