Coalition provides grants to help students looking to enter the field at Charlotte college
A $285,000 grant is allowing Southern Technical College campus in Charlotte County to offer scholarships to students working toward their associate’s degree in an area of study where there is a surging need.
The funding means 60 students in the surgical technology program will each be awarded $6,000 scholarships to help defray the cost of their education, said Enrico Pucci, campus director.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says there is a rising need for surgical technicians and in Southwest Florida the need is especially great because of a rapidly growing population that is also an aging population, Pucci said. Surgical technicians assist in the operating room by making sure the environment is sterile and by handing doctors surgical instruments during an operation.
“This is critically important,” Pucci said. “We have hospitals that have a desperate need for qualified people,” as well as surgical centers, he said. “And we have a population of folks who have health care needs at a higher level than others.”
The money comes from the Future- Makers Coalition at Collaboratory for the SWFL Equitable Jobs Pipeline: Sustainable Partnerships for SWFL Workforce Initiative.
FutureMakers is a cross-sector partnership whose members share the goal of transforming Southwest Florida’s workforce by having 55% of the area’s working age adults obtain a credential beyond high school, whether it’s a college degree, workforce certificates, industry certifications or other high-quality credentials.
The need is based on several reasons, according to the coalition.
By 2025, two out of three jobs in Florida will require a credential beyond high school, including the top 10 fastest-growing jobs.
But high school graduation rates have decreased by more than 4% since 2020.
