(1) Subject to appropriations provided in the General Appropriations Act, the Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant Program is created to provide grants to high schools, career centers, charter technical career centers, Florida College System institutions, and other entities authorized to sponsor an apprenticeship or preapprenticeship program, as defined in s. 446.021(6) and (5), respectively, to establish, expand, and operate new and existing apprenticeship or preapprenticeship programs. An individual applicant may not receive more than 10 percent of the total amount appropriated. (2) The department shall administer the grant, identify projects, solicit proposals, and make funding recommendations to the Commissioner of Education, who is authorized to approve grant awards for preapprenticeship or apprenticeship programs with demonstrated statewide or regional demand that:(a) Address a critical statewide or regional shortage, with consideration given to the information provided by the Labor Market Statistics Center within the Department of Commerce, the Labor Market Estimating Conference, and the Credentials Review Committee; or
(b) Expand existing programs that exceed the median completion rate and employment rate 1 year after completion of similar programs in the region, or the state if there are no similar programs in the region.
(3) Grant funds may be used to fund the cost of providing related technical instruction, for instructional equipment, supplies, instructional personnel, student services, and other expenses associated with the creation, expansion, or operation of an apprenticeship program. Grant funds may not be used for administrative or indirect costs. Grant recipients must submit quarterly reports in a format prescribed by the department.
(4) The department may grant a bonus in the award amount to applicants that submit a joint application for shared resources.
(5) The department shall annually report on its website:(a) The number of programs funded and represented throughout the state under this section.
(b) Retention, completion, and employment rates, categorized by program and provider.
(c) Starting and ending salaries, as categorized by program and provider, for participants who complete the program.
(6) The department may use up to $400,000 of the total amount allocated to administer the grant program.
(7) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to administer this section.
