The Master Credentials List: A tool to align Florida’s talent pipeline with a strong and diverse economy

For Florida’s economy to continue to flourish and all Floridians to achieve their potential, a diverse economy with a broad base of growing industries is vital. Florida is working hard to cultivate the workforce talent necessary to grow and diversify our economy. I am excited to be moving this effort forward as a member of Florida’s new Credentials Review Committee.

The Reimagining Education and Career Help (REACH) Act, signed into law last year by Governor Ron DeSantis, established the Credentials Review Committee to ensure education and workforce development programs prepare Floridians for in-demand occupations. The committee’s charge is to work with the state’s businesses, educational institutions and workforce system to identify the most in-demand industry credentials to include on a Master Credentials List.

A credential is a qualification of a specific set of competencies for a particular industry or occupation. The new Master Credentials List will serve as a foundational and direction-setting tool in Florida’s talent supply system by creating a public, transparent inventory of state-approved credentials of value; guiding workforce education and training programs through informing the public of the credentials that have value in our current and/or future economy; and directing federal and state funds for workforce education and training programs that lead to these credentials.

Why create a Master Credentials List?

Raising the profile of industry-recognized credentials is important as we look to inspire our current and next generation workforce to pursue education and training that provide skillsets of value in our economy. Two of my sons have chosen to earn credentials to support their career pathways and the other two have chosen degree pathways to their careers. For long-term viability of our economy and to ensure that every Floridian has a pathway to prosperity, it is critical that we publicly recognize the essentiality and value of all work, including occupations that require other than traditional baccalaureate degree programs for entry and advancement. Floridians who are participating in career academies and credential programs also are on a viable, valued pathway toward an in-demand career, and the new Master Credentials List will give our state direction to grow and diversify the talent that supports our economy with intention.

But the Credentials Review Committee doesn’t want to simply produce a list. It aims to create a process that responds to existing needs and is proactive about identifying emerging credentials of value. Skills gaps are real, and working with industry partners, the Master Credentials List becomes a key part of the solution to addressing skills gaps in a changing world. In my role at Baptist Health Care , I’m well aware of significant talent gaps in healthcare statewide. For healthcare, manufacturing, construction and other growing industries, it’s crucial that our state respond to the highest need areas by valuing the credentials that will close those workforce gaps and provide pathways to family-sustaining wages at the same time.

What we’ve learned so far

Simply put, this 18-member committee gets it. Members include industry representatives who can identify workforce challenges and the people who lead the systems that support talent development — including public and private organizations, secondary and postsecondary education, and the workforce development system. As chair of the committee’s local demand workgroup, I’ve been pleased to see a recognition that a one-size-fits-all approach will not serve Florida. Our urban and rural communities have different talent needs as do different geographic areas of the state.

Another truth the committee embraces is the need to employ a dual focus on growing skill sets in both targeted industries and infrastructure/support industries. Florida can grow as many aerospace, defense and manufacturing jobs as we desire, but we need sufficient healthcare, construction and education job growth in tandem. By including our industry and economic development partners at a local level in planning, we can develop an evolving credentials list that generates the talent we need both now and in the future.

Solidifying our success

Florida is ahead of the curve in this intersectional work. Our state has a long track record of collaboration between economic development, education and workforce development, taking cues from the real-time and projected needs of industry, and that is not something all states can say. The REACH Act further solidifies this strength, and development of a Master Credential List will establish Florida as a national model for using occupational demand and supply data, layered with local, real-time workforce insights, to direct and braid funding to meet the needs of both job seekers and employers. This effort puts us at the forefront of having a true talent supply system that allows us to be proactive in developing the talent we need to drive the economic growth we seek.

Florida must continue to make it easy for residents to find out which credentials or degrees the workforce demands and reduce barriers to earning these credentials. We cannot afford to lose anyone — Florida needs every bit of talent we can have to maintain the strong, diversified economy we seek.

Some takeaways for employers

To assure our economy continues to grow and our organizations can be successful, it is critical for business leaders to become advocates for workforce development in our communities. Below are three suggestions for ways that all business and industry leaders can engage:

• Be vocal about the value of a credential-focused postsecondary education. Credentials are the key to many of the most in-demand occupations in our economy and allow for entry into careers that can lead to a prosperous future without the need for a four-year degree.

• List your job openings on Employ Florida, a free job posting system available to you as a Florida business. Get as specific as possible in your standard occupation code and credential needs. Why? It gets your jobs and credentials “counted.” Our systems use historical data to tell us what we will need in the future. If your jobs aren’t counted, they may not be accurately accounted for in terms of the resources our state directs toward them.

• Get engaged in a classroom. Provide a guest instructor from your company. Schedule a field trip for students to come to your worksite. Pick whatever age you like: elementary, middle or high school; technical center; college or university. Giving students exposure to the real-world workforce resonates at every age. As a bonus, it builds pride of work and employee engagement for you. Speaking about why you love what you do can be an inspiration for everyone and can support our state in building the talent supply we all desire, now and for the future.