Talent
Ensuring Floridians receive a rigorous education for the jobs of today—and tomorrow
A highly-skilled and educated workforce is one of our state’s most important resource for improving Floridians’ quality of life and driving sustainable economic competitiveness. The leading companies and clusters that will emerge over the next 20 years will locate themselves wherever they have access to a top-quality workforce. The time to build Florida’s future workforce is now, and education must be its foundation.
Challenges
A child who can’t read or master early math concepts by the end of grade 3 is usually “lost to the system."
Mirroring other states, Council of 100 research found evidence in Florida of a “Rigor Gap”: a concerning number of high school students having passing grades in courses—and, in many cases, an A or B—while failing the corresponding state exam on the same content. This can hurt Florida students post-graduation as they seek to enter postsecondary education or join the workforce.
72% of 10th grade English students who failed the statewide End-of-Course (EOC) exam finished the course with a C or higher—37% had at least a B
55% of Algebra I students who failed the statewide End-of-Course (EOC) exam finished the course with a C or higher—12% had at least a B
38% of Florida employers stated it was very difficult to find recent graduates that were qualified to work at their companies, according to a 2021 survey by the Council. This is an improvement from the 50% we found in 2018, but not where we desire to be.
Percentage of businesses that said it was "very difficult" to find recent graduates who are qualified to work at their companies
Opportunities
Florida’s education system is ranked first in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
Florida’s 4th grade students ranked #3 in Reading and #4 in Math nationally
The state has moved to an innovative Progress Monitoring system to help reduce the “Rigor Gap.”
Florida has become the #1 state in the nation for school choice,
Florida’s higher education system has been ranked #1 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for the past 8 years.
Florida continues to expand work-based learning opportunities and invest in career and technical education as a vital educational path to higher-paying jobs.
The Florida Council of 100 is leading an initiative to foster collaboration
Related Research
Degrees in Demand: Policy Options for Managing Long-term State University System Growth
June 8, 2023
Beyond the Classroom: Expanding Postsecondary Internships and Other Forms of Experiential Learning
March 8, 2023
The Rigor Gap: Comparing Course Grades and End–of–Course Exam Results of Algebra I and 10th Grade English Students in Florida
September 22, 2020
Rigor Gap – Q&A Briefing Document
September 22, 2020
Related News
News
Op-ed: How To Fill the College Affordability Gap and Create Jobs That Pay Well
October 5, 2023
News
Op-ed: Universities need to better prepare students for jobs in the new Florida economy
March 13, 2023
Statement
Florida Council of 100 Praises Speaker Renner and the Legislature for Proposed Expansion of School Choice in HB1
January 25, 2023
News
Op-Ed: Here is the Unheralded Truth About Florida’s Workforce
January 23, 2022
