Florida Polytechnic University and Lakeland’s Catapult have partnered to enhance each group’s ability to shape innovation in Polk County. “Our partnership with Catapult represents a pivotal milestone in advancing economic development in Polk County and Central Florida. By bringing Florida Poly’s high-skill students, world-class faculty and top-tier rankings to the table, alongside Catapult’s innovative resources […]
Polk County Public Schools (PCPS) is holding a series of meetings to help inform parents and students about their educational opportunities. “Our School Choice Showcase offers parents a chance to connect with school staff and students from across the district to learn about the various programs we offer,” said Leann Bennett, Senior Director of Career, […]
Polk State College is going nationwide as part of the XploreFLEd pilot program. They will offer online courses in high-demand careers at an inexpensive price. The college is one of three in Florida to offer select online courses for out-of-state students at a reduced cost. Alongside Miami Dade and Tallahassee State colleges, students will have […]
Polk County’s four airports continue to grow to keep up with everything from cargo and commerical airlines to flight schools and recreational activities. Three educational institutions- Polk County Public Schools, Polk State College, and Southeastern University- are supplying local talent to work as pilots, mechanics, managers and more. “The fact that we have so many […]
Webber International University is doubling down on its commitment to educate students and further train current employees. Their focus is in the healthcare and information technology (IT) industries. They have been working with an online company to develop its corporate workforce initiative. MedCerts is a national training provider offering eLearning solutions in the high-demand areas […]
Quality staff, student-focused approaches and extensive hands-on experiences. These are the common denominators among the four nursing programs in Polk County whose national licensing exam passing rates are between 90-100%. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that nurses will be high demand for the foreseeable future. The nurse practitioner role ranked #1 in U.S […]
Keeping the talent pipeline flowing in Polk County to ensure existing, growing and new businesses have a steady stream of qualified employees to hire is an important component of economic development. The Central Florida Development Council is doing its part to keep the system flowing efficiently. One of its five committees is the Talent Pipeline, […]
As recent college graduates are entering the workforce, they face a market with many jobs the U.S. News & World Report lists as the 100 Best Jobs in 2024. Jobs on this list are generally in demand. They pay well, challenge employees, provide a chance to advance and offer a satisfying work/life balance. All of […]
Having a work/life balance is important to many young professionals who are trying to advance in their careers while still finding time to devote to their families. In Polk County, having a healthy work/life balance is very attainable. Those profiled in the “Build a Balanced Life” video series at www.cfdc.org/life pay homage to this possibility. […]
Polk County’s seven colleges and universities recently graduated a combined 2,743 students. The talent pipeline is full of new engineers, health-care professionals, computer scientists and more. Many of the graduates will remain in Polk County to secure jobs, some at businesses where they have completed internships. Many have graduated with STEM-related degrees in science, technology, […]