A diverse talent pipeline that responds and even anticipate markets’ demands is a key element for a healthy and prosperous economy. But understanding those needs and preparing skilled workers that will fulfill them isn’t an easy task. It requires constant monitoring of market trends and idiosyncrasies, as well as the ability to adapt and appropriately respond to changes.
Florida Technical College President and CEO, David Ruggieri, has dedicated his career as an educator to doing just that. For him, learning about the communities that he serves and remaining connected to them is a daily duty. Ruggieri believes that for the talent pipeline to mirror any given community, it needs to bring in individuals that are sometimes overlooked by traditional colleges: single parents, people looking for a second chance in life, veterans anxious to reenter the civilian workforce.
“We all have talents that can contribute to a better society and a more vibrant economy,” Ruggieri said. “Education shapes and molds those talents into marketable skills. No one should be precluded from improving themselves to be more productive because of lack of access to a college education.”
Ruggieri is making post-secondary education and trade careers accessible at Florida Technical College by creating programs with flexible schedules that include night and weekend hours and online courses. Students receive support and guidance from registration to graduation and beyond.
NEW CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS
Earlier this year, FTC launched its New American Force Trade Programs, to fill in-demand jobs in plumbing, welding, electricity and construction. The programs are a direct response to Florida’s booming construction industry which is in dire need of skilled labor. Students receive classroom instruction as well as on-the-job training with apprenticeship programs that provide a gateway to higher paying jobs and future advancement in the construction industry.
“We’ve come out of the recession and now commercial and residential construction are making a strong come back,” said David Ruggieri, President and CEO of Florida Technical College. “These Construction Trade Programs can open up new opportunities for people to get in the door.”
Ruggieri said the college researched the local trade industry, incomes and job placements and found there were many construction opportunities that were going unfilled. He said the new programs would be great for students looking for a fulfilling career and employers who need skilled workers to fill jobs. Construction Trade grads can fill openings for builders, inspectors, plumbing or electrician assistants or assistants to engineers and architects.
“Employers are very excited because it gives them well-trained individuals who can start work immediately after graduation,” Ruggieri said. “They don’t have to hire sight unseen because employers get to see the student’s work ethic during the apprenticeships. Also, students will already have security clearance on job sites so they can begin work right away.”
AN ALLY OF VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES
Through the years, FTC has made sure that each and every single one of its six campuses works hand in hand with veterans’ groups and individuals to help them get fully reintegrated in civilian society.
Veterans are very close to Ruggieri’s heart because he himself is one. In the early 1970s as he was discharged from the Air Force in San Diego, California, he secured a job as a teacher in a trade school. He was taken aback by the fact that a majority of students were veterans. Many of them took classes at night and early morning hours, since the school was open 24 hours.
“It really impressed me that people would want an education badly enough to work during the day and go to school at night, even if it meant sleeping little” Ruggieri said. “Something happened to me as I listened to these veterans’ stories and observed their eagerness to be fully integrated as productive members of our civil society.”
FTC promotes more than finding and pursuing a career path. Community service is just as important for Ruggieri, a principle he instills in his staff and his students. The Kissimmee campus was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, multiple times, for “engaging its students, faculty and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community.” Only 513 schools, colleges and universities have been named to the Honor Roll, based on volunteer hours and FTC had over 50,000 this past year. The school also won the Inter-Faith Award, which only 99 colleges won, and they aren’t a faith-based institution.
Florida Technical College has 4,000 students within six campuses throughout Florida: Orlando, Lakeland, Deland, Kissimmee, Cutler Bay and Pembroke Pines. Degree programs vary by campus. For more information, visit www.ftccollege.edu.