St. Petersburg College will be bolstering an entrepreneurial mindset in the Tampa Bay region, thanks to a state grant.
The college received a $100,000 “Perkins” grant, which is part of the Florida Department of Education and Entrepreneurial Education and Training program. It will be partially used to launch the “Entrepreneurship Essentials” course.
The course will be online, self-paced and open to the public. It begins March 15 and can be completed in as few as eight weeks. It was developed in part with the New York-based Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. More details can be found here.
“Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in our local economy,” SPC Dean of Workforce Development Michael Ramsey said. "Our desire is to help them chart their path to business ownership, and the foundation we provide will propel them to ultimately become job creators for our community.”
Part of the Perkins grant will also be used to support training and curriculum for Pinellas County Schools, bringing students entrepreneurial concepts into the career and technical education classes.
“In short, becoming an entrepreneur is a viable path to improving Florida’s economic and social mobility rates," a statement by the school said. "(Career and technical education classes) do not just prepare students to take jobs but to create the jobs of the future."
SPC was one of two local institutions to receive the Perkins grant, the other being Hillsborough County Community College. Both are already well-embedded in the entrepreneurial world. In addition to its newest initiatives, SPC offers an entrepreneurship certificate, along with its Career and Entrepreneurship Center at its Seminole campus. HCC has spent more than five years creating the college credit entrepreneurship academic program, which offers a number of degrees and certificates in entrepreneurship. The InLab@HCC is also a pillar in the startup community, offering mentoring, an accelerator program, coworking space and events.
Both entities joined 20 others in receiving a cut of the $1.5 million grant. It was intended for entrepreneur-related initiatives across career and technical education programs, which are often seen in community and technical colleges.
"While we know the quality of Florida’s career and technical education programs is unmatched, it is vital that our students graduate as critical thinkers, value creators and excellent communicators,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. “Entrepreneurship education and training ensures for a well-rounded graduate and this is another step toward our goal to make Florida the best state in the nation for workforce education by 2030.”
