TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Two out of three Floridians don’t have a college degree. A state panel is recommending strategies to raise the number of degree or certificate holders to 55 percent over the next eight years.
As the state makes progress, the Higher Education Coordinating Council is considering pushing for a goal of having six out of 10 residents with a degree or certificate.
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The council said to meet its goal of getting more than half of Floridians a degree in higher education, the state needs to put more emphasis on two-year trade degrees and expand internet access in rural communities.
Right now, 66 percent of Floridians don’t have a college degree. To bring that number down, the chairman of the HECC, Alan Levine, said the state needs to highlight the value of trade degrees.
“Not everybody needs a college degree. Not everybody needs a bachelor's degree to achieve their dream," Levine said. "We need all types of folks to make Florida work, whether you're a welder, an electrician, there's an amazing type of pride in those types of jobs.”
Board member Al Stimac said encouraging Floridians to pursue trade degrees will also boost Florida’s economy.
“We are actually importing hourly people because we can't find them in the state of Florida," Stimac said. "We have a field now that we can create jobs in Florida, high-paying jobs, but we can't attract industry because we don't have the skillset.”
HECC also identified poor internet connectivity as a roadblock to higher education for many Floridians living in rural areas.
“It appears as if the communities that have the lowest level of connectivity also have the lowest levels of educational attainment, whether it's certificates or two-year degrees, or four-yeardegrees," Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida President Ed Moore said. "Having access to online is critical, and not just for education, but for the whole economic development of any community.”
The panel wants legislators to expand internet infrastructure to get more Floridians online so they can expand their educational opportunities.
There are currently 680,000 Floridians living without broadband access in the state.