Florida lawmakers met on Tuesday morning in the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee to discuss a bill that would open career paths for students in civil construction.
House Bill 567 would invest $5 million into Florida’s workforce development. The investment aims to address the labor shortage for road and bridge workers in the state.
State Representative Fiona McFarland, who sponsors the bill, said the project is something lawmakers value deeply.
It provides $5 million of workforce development incentives,” McFarland said. “We care very much about workforce development, particularly in the industry of civil engineering and road building.”
The bill states that funding for the project will be provided by the State Transportation Fund.
Florida College System institutions and high schools would receive priority grants. Schools participating in the initiative will be required to institute an elective course that has a ” heavy civil construction curriculum”.
Students in the program will operate authentic equipment and controls used in the civil engineering industry. They will also have the opportunity to earn an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10 certification and an equipment simulator certification.
If lawmakers pass the bill, the program will run for five years, ending in the 2029-2030 fiscal year.
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