Published on April 15, 2024 at 2:34 pm
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Up to 30 students will be accepted to the Florida State College at Jacksonville over the next three years under a grant that spearheads a multiyear program supporting students with unique abilities, the college announced on Monday.
The $1,484,224 grant will fund what’s called the Florida Postsecondary Comprehensive Transition Program, which is meant specifically for students with intellectual disabilities. It will be the second of its kind in the Northeast Florida region. The other is at the University of North Florida.
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Managed by the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida, the program increases independent living, inclusive and experiential postsecondary education and employment opportunities, according to the program’s website.
At FSCJ, the grant-funded program is described as an inclusive, vocational, technical and career-readiness training program for adults with intellectual disabilities in Duval and Nassau counties.
Students accepted into the program, called VERTICAL, will be offered three career and technical education tracks:
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- Office specialist college credit technical certificate.
- Certified nursing assistant.
- Welding technology.
The college serves 55 students with self-disclosed intellectual disabilities as their primary disability. VERTICAL will allow 10 additional students to enroll for the first fall cohort and 10 more each subsequent year, with the expectation that up to 30 students will complete the program during the three-year grant period, according to the college.
Depending on their chosen career path, students will complete the program in one to three years.
VERTICAL students will be offered the opportunity to earn industry-recognized credentials that lead to employment upon completion, FSCJ said in a news release. After graduation, they’ll be matched with jobs in the Jacksonville community that align with their preference.
“FSCJ is proud to serve as an educational partner for anyone and everyone who wishes to elevate themselves through higher education,” said FSCJ President John Avendano. “Thanks to this grant, we will be able to further our ability to do just that and help even more students pursue their goals.”
