Dec

12

Workforce-related programs are growing in SW Fla

Filed Under Business Builders, Economic Development

SWFBT’s biannual roundup of educational opportunities for business

by BOB MASSEY
Editor

Florida Gulf Coast University President Wilson G. Bradshaw was paying attention when a survey indicated Southwest Florida is wanting for workforce education.

And now his school is doing something about it – by forging an alliance with Edison State College.

That’s just one major milestone to report as SWFBT presents its biannual survey of universities, colleges and technical schools – to determine what they’re offering of interest to the regional business community.

A unique partnership

Lee and Charlotte counties had jointly commissioned the massive 2007 survey by New Jersey-based Wadley-Donovan Group. It revealed a pressing need for an advanced workforce in Charlotte County. The study showed a need for elementary and secondary school teachers, registered nurses, entry-level management, computer specialists and sales representatives. It also revealed a need for training programs, especially for health care professionals.

“At FGCU, we took the Wadley-Donovan report very seriously,” Bradshaw said Dec. 2, joining Edison President Kenneth P. Walker to address the media at Edison State College’s Punta Gorda campus.

“Bringing a college and a university together has never been tried before in Florida,” Walker said.

The two schools are forging a partnership to offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees on the existing site of Edison State College Campus in Charlotte County.

The move, according to the presidents of the two schools, will be a boon to economic and workforce development – not just in Charlotte County, but in Southwest Florida.

Bringing it home

FGCU and Edison State College (ESC) plan to use existing infrastructure on the ESC-Charlotte County Campus to bring bachelor’s and master’s degree opportunities to students in Charlotte County, where public higher education is currently limited.

Residents must drive to FGCU in Fort Myers for bachelor’s or master’s degree programs, or to Edison State College – Lee Campus for bachelor opportunities. Distance, time and fuel costs make these options prohibitive for many in Charlotte County.

This innovative partnership proposes an ambitious agenda for program expansion that will add 12 bachelor’s degree programs and two master’s degree programs within five years. The proposed program expansion includes:

• Establish bachelor’s degree programs in Special Education, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Public Safety Management, and Supervision and Management for academic year 2009-2010.

• Establish bachelor’s degree programs in Legal Studies, Psychology, Secondary Education in Mathematics and Biology for academic year 2010-2011.

• Establish bachelor’s degree programs in Communication and a Master’s of Public Administration in academic year 2011-2012.

• Establish bachelor’s degree program in Nursing and Biology and an M.S. in Criminal Justice in 2012-2013.

• Increase enrollment by 100 percent by the year 2020. Current enrollment at the ESC Charlotte Campus is approximately 2,400.

The partnership will request funding to support an increase of 1,400 full-time enrollments (FTEs) for the year 2009-10. Edison State College will generate 70 percent of the 1,400 FTEs and FGCU will generate 30 percent.

The joint partnership is the result of collaboration between Edison State College and FGCU and is dependent upon the support of the community and legislators. The two schools plan to go before the state legislature to ask for a total of $3.5 million dollars to help support this proposal.

Increasing the education level of the population will serve as a catalyst for economic development for the county and region.

What’s happening at other schools

AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY

Web site: www.avemaria.edu

5050 Ave Maria Blvd.

Ave Maria 34142-9505

(239) 280-2500, (877) 283-8648

The university is set to open its law school, which is being relocated from Ann Arbor, Mich., to a property at the Vineyards in Naples in 2009. With no other law school serving the region, the relocation affords local students an option for legal studies close to home.

The school will offer a full-time law degree program, making it a viable choice for those who have the luxury of time to devote themselves to an education. Since the school isn’t yet open, students have a little while to weigh the feasibility of such a hefty endeavor. However, anyone looking to simply take a class or two can sign on with “special student” status. An accountant, for instance, could take a class in tax law.

The already established Business Institute at Ave Maria University provides a certificate in business, which is offered as an adjunct to any major area of study. It consists of five courses: accounting, finance, marketing, management and business law. There are two economics prerequisites. Optional offerings include business ethics and statistics.

The school regularly brings in business professors or business people from the area as well as nationally to speak to the students.

BARRY UNIVERSITY

Web site: www.barry.edu

Lee County:
12381 South Cleveland Ave.
at Edison College Campus
Fort Myers 33907
(239) 278-3041
Collier County:
7007 Lely Cultural Parkway
at Edison College Campus
Naples 34113
(239) 732-3910

Barry University offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in subjects such as psychology, behavioral science, educational leadership and administration.

CHARLOTTE TECHNICAL CENTER

Web site: charlottetechcenter.ccps.k12.fl.us

18150 Murdock Circle
Port Charlotte 33948
941-255-7500

Charlotte Technical Center is introducing a 360-hour psychiatric technician course. This program will prepare students for a variety of career opportunities. Psychiatric aides and technicians work under the supervision of mental health professionals or nurses and help care for the mentally ill, disabled or infirm people who are confined to hospitals, mental health facilities, and residential care facilities. Students are required to attend clinicals.

EDISON STATE COLLEGE

Web site: www.edison.edu

Lee County

8099 College Parkway
Fort Myers 33919
(239) 489-9300

Collier County

7007 Lely Cultural Pkwy

Naples 34113-8977
(239) 732-3700

Charlotte County

26300 Airport Rd.,
Punta Gorda 33950
(941) 637-5629

Supervision and Management

In a few short weeks Edison State College will welcome its first class of students seeking bachelor’s degrees in supervision and management.

“School administrators set high enrollment goals and interest has been phenomenal,” reports Catherine Bergerson, district director of communications and marketing.

Administrators projected 35 students would enroll in the Supervision and Management program. To date more than 70 have been accepted.

The BAS in Supervision and Management program includes courses in leadership, strategic planning, accounting, finance and budgeting, human resource management, business ethics and international business. Elective choices will include additional courses in marketing, management, information technology, accounting, managing diverse employees, total quality management and managing non-profit organizations.

Pediatric dentistry

The number one health problem Collier County children face is access to dental care, according to Collier Health Services Inc. So Edison State College is working to bring new oral health options to Collier County kids – while expanding educational opportunities for aspiring dentists.

This month the doors will open on the two-story, 20,000-square-foot University of Florida Pediatric Dental Clinic at Edison State College, Collier Campus.

The dental clinic and teaching facility will offer advanced dental care for at-risk children, including a multitude of specialty services, sedation, and hospital-based dentistry. Collier Health Services Inc., a private, not-for-profit health care provider that chiefly serves clients at poverty level or below, will operate the clinic’s billing and collection activities, payroll and supply procurement, and refer clients to the clinic.

The University of Florida (UF) dental program at Edison State College’s Collier Campus will provide specialized dental treatment to Collier County’s Medicaid-eligible children. Once the program reaches full capacity, it is expected to provide 15,000 patient visits each year.

This new state-of-the-art pediatric dental facility will be part of the University of Florida – College of Dentistry’s Statewide Network for Community Oral Health. The construction of a Pediatric Dental Clinic on the Edison State College Collier Campus is a unique project. Funding for this $8 million venture was provided by a $4 million gift from the Naples Children & Education Foundation, and by the state of Florida through the Courtelis matching grant program. The clinic will be operated by the University Of Florida College Of Dentistry to serve the dental health requirements of needy children throughout Collier County.

Fire service

“There is a huge need for new, expertly trained firefighters in Southwest Florida right now,” said Craig Aberbach, coordinator of emergency services at Edison State.

So beginning in January, the school will partner with North Naples Fire and Rescue Department to offer a state of the art Fire Academy certificate program.

The much needed program already has a waiting list for its inaugural class. There are 36 students enrolled for the spring and another 100 are interested, Aberbach said.

Although the academy is set up for working people, don’t expect the training to be easy, he added. The program tests intellect and physical aptitude.

Additionally, there is a physical conditioning program designed to improve overall performance in the practical evolution exercises. Physical conditioning for the class will be specified during the night class orientation. Students will be assessed for physical capabilities throughout the program.

“Edison State will be able to provide an entire career path for each firefighter,” said Aberbach. “Each student can walk in the door with no certification and become a highly employable, certified firefighter, continue to become an EMT and paramedic.”

Students will have the opportunity to earn an associate’s degree in Fire Science or Emergency Medical Services Technology. They can than transition into the bachelor’s of Public Safety seamlessly, as all of the prerequisites will be complete.

FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY

Web site: www.fgcu.edu

10501 FGCU Blvd South

Fort Myers 33965

(239) 590-1000

The College of Business has been meeting in the recently opened, 62,000-square-foot Lutgert Hall. The seed money for planning and construction was provided in the form of a $5 million donation on behalf of Raymond and Beverly Lutgert of Naples, which was matched by the state. With monies already appropriated for the project, the necessary $19.5 million was raised.

Features of the building include a number of specialty classrooms, including a portfolio management room and an advertising and marketing lab, which has a two-way mirror for videotaping and observing. Also in house are specialized computer rooms, along with case study rooms “designed specifically to enhance business education in a format similar to those used at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and at Harvard Business School,” according to Howard Finch, associate dean.

Faculty are also located in the same building, allowing students better access to their professors outside of class time.

HERITAGE INSTITUTE

Web site: heritage-education.com

6811 Palisades Park Court
Fort Myers 33912
(239) 936-5822

The school did not respond by press time.

HODGES UNIVERSITY

Web site: www.hodges.edu

2655 Northbrooke Drive
Naples 34119

(239) 513-1122

Beginning in January, Hodges will begin offering classes on the campus of South Florida Community College (SFCC). Students there will be able to enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies program through an arrangement with Hodges.

Offering the IDS program at SFCC will provide greater convenience for residents there who plan to pursue degrees that are increasingly in demand by employers in today’s rapidly changing workplace. Graduates of this program will provide a readily available and highly skilled workforce for employers, which will help drive the economic revitalization of the local region and the state.

“We have had great experience with a similar program at other community colleges,” said Terry McMahan, president of Hodges University. “This will give the students of SFCC the opportunity to complete a bachelor’s degree program by taking courses at the community college from which they received their associate’s degree. It’s a program that is challenging and intense, but allows the students to get a degree in a timely manner.”

Hodges has placed a learning site coordinator on site, and will also provide financial aid, a registrar and student development personnel specifically dedicated to their learning sites.

SFCC currently has a full-time enrollment of more than 1,200 students, with locations in Arcadia, Avon Park, Bowling Green, Lake Placid, Lorida and Sebring.

In addition to its Naples and Ft. Myers main campuses, Hodges offers programs at several learning sites, including Immokalee, Edison College in Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Manatee Technical Institute, Pasco-Hernando Community College and Florida Keys Community College.

IMPAC UNIVERSITY

Web site: www.impac.edu

900 W. Marion Ave.

Punta Gorda 33950

(941) 639-7512

The school did not respond by press time.

LORENZO WALKER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Web site: www.lwit.edu

3702 Estey Ave.
Naples 34104
(239) 377-0900, (239) 377-3300

The institute is offering several new courses starting in January, in response to the need for continuing education to meet the demands of the workforce, according to John Lambley, coordinator of workforce education programs. Included will be a culinary program, Microsoft certification programs, computer certification classes, cosmetology, telecommunications and health care programs.

“We also do customized programs which a lot of businesses don’t know about,” Lambley said.

The programs have been publicized mostly by word of mouth.

“We go into a business and customize a program to whatever their needs are – management, computer, tech classes,” Lambley said. “These are not off-the-shelf classes; they’re customized to the business’s environment and delivered on site.”

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Web site: www.nova.edu

3650 Colonial Court

Fort Myers 33913

239-267-6278

The school did not respond by press time.

RASMUSSEN COLLEGE

Web site: www.rasmussen.edu

9160 Forum Corporate Parkway, Suite 100
Fort Myers 33905
(239) 477-2100, (866) 344-0229

Fort Myers’ newest college welcomed its first class of students this past summer. Rasmussen is a private, regionally accredited college that offers career-focused bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in a supportive, student-centered environment. Students at Rasmussen benefit from small class sizes and the help of faculty and staff who are dedicated to the success of each student.

The degree programs at Rasmussen College range from Business to Allied Health, from Criminal Justice to Technology and Design, according to Kristy Croom, senior marketing manager.

Rasmussen features high-tech labs for its Game Simulation, Digital Design and Computer Information Technology programs, as well as for its allied health degree programs. The school designs its program offerings around the needs of the community in order to provide students with stable, in-demand career opportunities.

As an example, Rasmussen College is now adding a new program to its portfolio: medical laboratory technician. The role of medical laboratory technicians is to conduct tests to help detect, diagnose and treat diseases. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment of medical laboratory workers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014, which is a good prospect for a slow economy. Rasmussen College continues to evaluate the needs of its communities and develop programs that address these needs.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA COLLEGE

Web site: www.swfc.edu

1685 Medical Lane
Fort Myers 33907

(877) 493-5147

Design institute

Southwest Florida College recently opened The Institute of Interior Design, located at the International Design Center in Estero. This situation offers students interested in the Interior Design field a learning environment by surrounding them with experienced designers and exceptional working materials, says Nancy Monteith, director of communications.

The doors opened in September and the school is currently accepting applications. Offered are a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design, and an associate’s in Interior Design & Decorating, and a Kitchen and Bath diploma.

Port Charlotte campus

Southwest Florida College is also opening a new campus located in Port Charlotte that will offer the following campus-based programs: Medical Assisting, Surgical Technician, Health Information

Technology and Medical Billing and Coding Technology. The school will also offer the following online programs: Criminal Justice, Paralegal, Management & Marketing, and Medical Billing & Coding technology. The new campus will be at 950 Tamiami Trail, Suite 109, Port Charlotte.

Real-life CSI

The college has recently introduced a new Crime Scene Investigation program. The CSI diploma program teaches students many aspects of crime scene analysis, including crime scene processing in a lab environment, forensic photography and crime scene investigating. Graduates from this program will be capable of working for city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The CSI program can be completed in less than one year.

Associate Editor Sara Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.

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