EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine August 2019 | Page 19

the programs landed jobs in the industry.
Most students who enter those programs are self-directed;
having recognized the potential of the industry in Volusia County,
they seek Daytona State’s guidance through career and job search
offices, which support students “during every step of their journey
toward program completion,” Weems explains, and “every
skilled trades and technology program is guided by an advisory
committee of industry representatives [who] assist with connecting
students to industry, job opportunities and industry exposure.”
In addition, area students benefit from the college’s
involvement with state job training programs such as the Florida
Trade Program (FTP) and the Florida East Coast TechHire (FECT)
program, which began with a $3.7 million grant from the White
House’s TechHire Initiative. Through these state and national
programs, Daytona State offers opportunities for accelerated
credentialing and paid internships in manufacturing and IT. The
current incarnation of FECT is MY TechHire, which provides this
kind of credential training to applicants looking to upgrade their
skillsets or return to the workforce, explains Weems.
Graduation, job placement, and salary rates from Daytona
State’s degree and certification programs related to manufacturing
are on par with the statewide average for individuals seeking such
training. Certain data, however, suggests that some of those who
earn credentials in manufacturing earn higher salaries than the
area average. A 2017 report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics
showed the average salary for all Volusia county residents is
$38,981, while the same-year Daytona State cohort who certified in
the Postsecondary Adult Vocational Applied Welding Technology
program earned an average of $41,180, and those who earned a BS
in Engineering Technology earned an average of $54,356.
Helping community residents raise their career potential and
earning power is part of Daytona State’s mission. According to a
2018 report by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity
Bureau of Workforce Statistics Economic Research, a number of
occupations in fabrication and industrial engineering served by
Daytona State College are expected to grow by 14% by 2026 in
Flagler and Volusia Counties. To meet this kind of demand, the
college’s state-of-the-art facility, the Advanced Technology College,
which opened in Daytona Beach in 2000, continues to evolve
to offer more programs in the design, technology, engineering,
and manufacturing fields, including dual enrollment programs
for middle- and high-school students, and a 3-D Manufacturing
specialization for the A.S. in Engineering Technology degree, added
last fall.
In Volusia County, programs like those at Daytona State College
help bridge the gap between the manufacturing industry’s needs
and community residents’ pursuit of knowledge and opportunity.
Brigitte Hoarau is an English Professor and
freelance writer. She earned a BA in Film & Video
and an MFA in Creative Writing: Fiction.
Daytona State College Advanced Technology
College Campus
AUGUST 2019 | 19 |