(1) Secondary schools offering career-themed courses, as defined in s. 1003.493(1)(b), and career and professional academies shall be coordinated with the relevant and appropriate industry to prepare a student for further education or for employment in that industry.

(2) Industry certification as used in this section is a voluntary process through which students are assessed by an independent, third-party certifying entity using predetermined standards for knowledge, skills, and competencies, resulting in the award of a credential that is nationally recognized and must be at least one of the following:

(a) Within an industry that addresses a critical local or statewide economic need;

(b) Linked to an occupation that is included in the workforce system’s targeted occupation list; or

(c) Linked to an occupation that is identified as emerging.

(3) The State Board of Education shall use the expertise of CareerSource Florida, Inc., and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to develop and adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 for implementing an industry certification process.

(a) For nonfarm occupations, industry certification must be based upon the highest available national standards for specific industry certification to ensure student skill proficiency and to address emerging labor market and industry trends. A local workforce development board or a school principal may apply to CareerSource Florida, Inc., to request additions to the approved list of industry certifications based on high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand job requirements in the local economy.

(b) For farm occupations submitted pursuant to s. 570.07, industry certification must demonstrate student skill proficiency and be based upon the best available data to address critical local or statewide economic needs.

(4) The list of industry certifications approved by CareerSource Florida, Inc., the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Department of Education shall be published and updated annually by a date certain, to be included in the adopted rule.

(5) The Department of Education shall collect student achievement and performance data in industry-certified career education programs and career-themed courses and shall work with CareerSource Florida, Inc., and the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in the analysis of collected data. The data collection and analyses shall examine the performance of participating students over time. Performance factors must include, but need not be limited to, graduation rates, retention rates, Florida Bright Futures Scholarship awards, additional educational attainment, employment records, earnings, industry certification, return on investment, and employer satisfaction. The results of this study shall be submitted to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives annually by December 31.

History.—s. 4, ch. 2004-357; s. 2, ch. 2007-216; s. 14, ch. 2010-154; s. 461, ch. 2011-142; s. 14, ch. 2012-191; s. 2, ch. 2014-33; s. 6, ch. 2014-184; s. 53, ch. 2015-98; s. 48, ch. 2016-216.