TITUSVILLE, Fla. – Florida ranks number one in workforce education, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced during a news conference at Titusville High School on Tuesday.
Joined by Commissioner of Education Stasi Kamoutsas, Brevard Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell, and other education leaders, DeSantis emphasized the importance of providing young people with multiple pathways to success beyond traditional four-year colleges.
Since taking office in 2019, DeSantis said Florida set an ambitious goal to become the nation’s leader in workforce education by 2030. The state achieved this milestone five years early, thanks to investments exceeding $12 billion in workforce programs.
“Florida is ranked No. 1 in talent attraction for three years in a row. We ranked No. 1 in public higher education. Nine years running, we’re ranked No. 1 in two-year college graduation rates. No. 1 lowest tuition and fees, No. 1 in education freedom for the fourth consecutive year in a row."
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The governor praised vocational and technical training programs, noting that students from Brevard Public Schools have been hired by SpaceX immediately after graduation. He stressed the value of hands-on learning through apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs, which now have 25,000 active participants statewide.
DeSantis also addressed concerns about rising college costs and questioned the value of some university degrees.
“As a young person, not everyone needs to go to a traditional four-year brick and Ivy university. Unless you’re going to MIT, you don’t need to go $100,000 in debt."