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, […]
Jeremy Martin has been selected as the 18th President of Florida Southern College. He will succeed Anne Kerr, who is retiring after 20 years in the position. Martin will start work at Florida Southern on August 1. Originally from Virginia, he was vice president for strategy and innovation at the College of William & Mary. […]
Thanks to an anonymous donor, Florida Southern College is establishing Polk County’s first School of Architecture. It will offer a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 2025, then add a master’s program in 2028. “The college recognizes that this new architectural program is a natural fit for our campus. It features the largest single-site collection of […]
With demand for Respiratory Therapists growing, Polk State College is being recognized for excellence in its respiratory therapy program, which graduates students who often stay in Polk County to work. Respiratory therapists may be the unsung heroes in healthcare facilities, working with doctors and nurses to provide oxygen and breathing treatments, intubate patients, manage ventilators, […]