Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

School District Postsecondary Industry Certifications

Report 19-09, October 2019




Report Summary

  • School districts receive $1,000 for each student-earned postsecondary industry certification on a list developed and maintained by the Florida Department of Education.
  • The funding list includes over 200 types of industry certifications, and students earned over 4,500 fundable certifications in 2016-17. Most (51%) of the funded certifications earned by district students were in the Health Sciences and HVAC Technician occupational funding areas.
  • Only 26% of earned industry certification types eligible for state funding were linked to at least one statewide HSHW occupation. In 5 of the 17 occupational funding areas, industry certifications were linked to HSHW occupations in 10 or more of the 24 workforce regions.
  • Among early-career certification earners, 94% were found employed the year after certification and 42% of those employed were earning HSHW entry-level wages. Among mid-career certification earners, 98% were found employed the year after certification, and 77% showed earnings increases.


Related Reports
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  2. Summary of OPPAGA Reports Examining Workforce Education Programs and Legislative Options
    Report 11-07 February 2011
  3. Profile of Florida's Public Workforce Education Program Providers by Service Area
    Report 10-65 December 2010
  4. Colleges Perform Slightly Better Than School Districts in Career Education; Neither Clearly Outperforms in Adult Education
    Report 10-63 December 2010
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
industry certification, certification, workforce, labor, employment, college, vocational, technical, career education, career source, certificate, associate, Florida College System, k-12, public schools, career training, economic opportunity, FETPIP, CTE