Pasco-Hernando State College Has Been Awarded A $449,311 Grant, Florida Department Of Education

PASCO COUNTY, Fla.- Pasco-Hernando State College has been awarded a $449,311 grant through the CARES Act Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER)

PASCO COUNTY, Fla.- Pasco-Hernando State College has been awarded a $449,311 grant through the CARES Act Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Rapid Credentialing Program. PHSC is excited to join forces with the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) for a new workforce education initiative to raise awareness of short-term career and technical education programs.

According to the Governor’s Office, these rapid credentialing programs are designed to increase all of Florida’s state and technical college’s capacity to enroll and graduate students in short-term, in-demand, high-wage technical certificates, career certificates, and industry certification preparatory courses. This workforce initiative will provide Floridians the opportunity to complete programs in 18 weeks or less, aiding in accelerated recovery for residents and the economy.

PHSC will use this grant to launch training programs in the areas of manufacturing, welding, health, informational technology/cybersecurity, unmanned vehicles/drones, real estate, and more. The college will also award scholarship opportunities to cover tuition and materials for qualified applicants.

“The rapid credentialing grant will enable PHSC to provide streamlined career training pathways to high demand and high-wage careers in very short turn-around time for the residents of our two-county service district,” said Marcia Austin, Ed.D., dean, workforce development, career, and technical education. “PHSC is proud to collaborate with business partners like the Bay Area Apartment Association and Global Business Systems to provide Pasco and Hernando county residents with opportunities to achieve economic prosperity through expanded career education.”

This fall, PHSC introduced several rapid credentialing courses, including Certified Python Programming, Certified AutoCAD User, Certified SolidWorks, Certified CompTIA A+, Certified Bookkeeper, Residential Property Management Training, Certified 5G Leadership Skills, and Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety Certification. These and other short-term courses to follow in the spring were developed to provide technical training that directly responds to current industry demands and offers an accelerated pathway to high-wage careers. These rapid credential courses are provided in a remote and online format and prepare students to sit for testing to become industry certified.

The Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Safety Certification course begins on October 26 and is designed to set a safety-inspired foundation for any sUAS operations, and covers all pertinent aeronautical knowledge as outlined by the FAA, augmented with safety practices. This course and several other rapid credentialing courses may be eligible for PHSC’s Rapid Credential Scholarship available to qualified students. For additional information on this course, please contact Karen Strouthopoulos at 727.816.3123 or stroutk@phsc.edu.