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CS/CS/SB 366 — Educational Opportunities Leading to Employment
by Appropriations Committee; Education Committee; and Senators Hutson, Brodeur, and Diaz
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Education Committee (ED)
The bill enhances work-based learning opportunities for students. The bill provides:
- That a student 18 years of age or younger who is in a paid work-based learning opportunity must be covered by the workers’ compensation insurance of his or her employer.
- That a student 18 years of age or younger who is providing unpaid services under a work-based learning opportunity provided by a school district or Florida College System (FCS) institution is considered to be employed by the school district or FCS institution.
- Authority for the Department of Education (DOE) to reimburse employers, including school districts and FCS institutions, for the proportionate cost of workers’ compensation insurance premiums for students in work-based learning opportunities in accordance with DOE rules, and appropriates $2 million to the DOE for this purpose.
The bill requires the development of pathways to college credit programs. Specifically, the bill
- Requires the State Board of Education to develop, by January 31, 2022, alternative methods for assessing communication and computation skills. FCS institutions and dual enrollment programs may use a common placement test or the developed alternative methods for admissions and program eligibility.
- Requires a representative committee of public postsecondary institutions to identify three mathematics pathways aligned to programs, meta-majors, and careers.
The bill authorizes an institution to participate in the Florida Postsecondary Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) Postsecondary program if the institution is an aviation maintenance school in Florida, is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, and is licensed by the Commission for Independent Education.
The bill renames the Florida Ready to Work Certification Program as the Florida Ready to Work Credential Program (Credential Program) and revises the purpose of the program to enhance the employability skills of Floridians and to better prepare them for successful employment. Specifically, the bill removes the award of scaled-level credentials and requires:
- The Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the DOE to conduct a comprehensive identification of employability skills currently in demand by employers.
- An employability credential to be awarded to a Credential Program participant who successfully passes assessments which measure the employability skills identified by DEO and DOE.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2021.
Vote: : Senate 39-0; House 116-0