Sunshine Sentinel

Gov. Ron DeSantis says the new bill he signed, which went into effect earlier this month, will help provide people with hands-on skills to streamline getting students from the classroom to the workforce.

The bill signed by DeSantis, designed to improve and modernize workforce development in the Sunshine State, went into effect earlier this month, according to an WFTS Action News article. At the time, DeSantis said the legislation "doubles down on Florida’s commitment to vocational education, providing people with skills that can then be applied in the real world."

Among the items the bill accomplishes, DeSantis touted that it would allow workers to gain skills and enter the workforce with little to no debt, especially when compared to the more typical route of earning a four-year degree, WFTS reported. 

The main way the law works to accomplish its goals is by the creation of the Office of Reimagining Education and Career Help, or REACH. This office would be an extension of the Executive Office of the Governor, WFLA News Channel 8 reported. 

Jobs and unemployment have been improving as the state moves out of the COVID-19 slump that many have experienced over the past 18 months. Florida's unemployment rate is 4.9%, well below the national average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics. 

Before the governor signed the bill into law, the measure passed unanimously in both the House and Senate, WFTS reported. 

DeSantis said in the WFTS article that this law will hold schools accountable, making sure they place students in jobs successfully. 

According to the language of the bill, it also creates and revises provisions relating to workforce services including the Labor Market Estimating Conference, offers pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship program grants, creates digital credential courses and helps student career service centers better assist students.