March 20, 2023
Tallahassee Community College brought home two exemplary program awards from the National Council for Continuing Education & Training (NCCET). The Division of Workforce Development received the Exemplary Program Award for Innovation Through Collaboration, and the Wakulla Environmental Institute received the Exemplary Program Award for the Oyster Aquaculture Training Program. The awards were presented during NCCET Annual Conference and Partner Exhibition which took place in Nashville, Tenn.
The Division of Workforce Development is one of the top workforce programs in the nation and a hub for innovation and collaboration. Their “Be Essential” campaign, launched in response to the drastic increase in unemployment in the community at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, included more than 70 in-demand workforce training programs that could be completed in 90 days or less. Its success inspired Workforce Connections, which was created to address targeted industries with significant worker shortages such as healthcare, manufacturing, and transportation. In addition, the division partners with the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) as their largest contracted provider of workforce training, and has recently partnered with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to deliver workforce and career training services statewide with DJJ youth.
The Wakulla Environmental Institute (WEI) established the Oyster Aquaculture program in 2013, the first
of its kind in Florida, to support the region’s renowned oyster industry in the wake of its historic collapse. Aquaculture is the number one source of seafood in the world in place of wild-caught. WEI has trained hundreds of students over the last decade in oyster aquaculture who have gone on to create more than 300 new businesses and more than one thousand new jobs statewide. The latest evolution of the oyster aquaculture program provides training for farmers to produce their own oyster seed, which is a critical need. This innovation is expected to increase production from 20 million oysters per year to more than 100 million, bringing production back to pre-BP oil spill levels.
About the National Council for Continuing Education and Training
The National Council for Continuing Education & Training (NCCET) is committed to providing its members with benefits that keep them up to date on new trends, help maintain a personal and professional network, and give access to the latest leading-edge programs throughout the country. NCCET provides member institutions and continuing education professionals with proven best practices that help with the implementation and execution of effective and profitable programs.