Its 2020 so we’re investing in our first pair of bifocals.
Let me explain.
Bifocals lets the person wearing them see details and the wider horizon at the same time.
The Florida Consortium rolled out a new strategic plan late last year. A number of ideas and priorities were endorsed by our President’s Council and regional partners. Florida International University, University of Central Florida, and University of South Florida is home to nearly 50,000 transfer students, which accounts for 61% of transfer students attending a state university in Florida. Simply put, Consortium member institutions have the talent to address a significant portion of the demand for high skilled workers. Not convinced? In 2018 FIU, UCF, and USF conferred nearly 34,000 bachelor’s degrees. However, recent insights suggest that current degree production alone won’t completely solve the Sunshine State’s talent needs.
Equally troubling, a staggering amount of skilled jobs in Florida go unfilled each month. At the same time, transfer students in the Sunshine State are less likely to graduate when compared to their FTIC counterparts. The Sunshine State can’t afford to let any learners slip through the cracks. One way the Florida Consortium aims to address the aforementioned challenges are through the Florida Transfer Success Network which is led by Dr. Fai Howard, USF, Dr. Janie Valdes, FIU, and Dr. Jeff Jones, UCF. Together the team is crafting solutions that reduce transfer shock and simplifies course alignment. The Florida Transfer Network is also investigating articulation agreements. By working together the Florida Transfer Network will improve time to degree AND degree completion. If successful these efforts will erase the transfer student success gap and prime the talent pipeline with more high skilled workers.
In closing, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity 1 in 10 jobs created in the U.S. were created in Florida for the past five years. FIU, UCF, and USF are working together to make sure every learner not only finds a job, but finds a job that aligns to their skillset and career goals. To do this we are also partnering with labor market experts to infuse insights and learnings from labor market data into curriculum. We aim to become the first public universities to leverage labor market data to align 100% of our curriculum. This focused approach will assure every learner has access and opportunity.
In the coming weeks the Florida Consortium is hosting the Future of Talent and supporting the National Student Success Conference, the Florida College Access Network Summit, and the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Learners to Earners Summit to name a few.
So here’s to 2020, may it keep you and us in focus!