The Collier Board of County Commissioners highlighted the important role career and technical education plays in Southwest Florida’s economy during a recent meeting. Commissioners approved a proclamation declaring February “Career and Technical Education Month in Collier County” during the Feb. 22 Board of County Commissioners meeting.

Yolanda Flores, the administrative director of Lorenzo Walker Technical College, Dorin Oxender, the director of the Immokalee Technical College, Nicole Litchko, career and technical education coordinate for Collier County Public Schools, Alex Breault, director of talent initiatives at the Greater Naples Chamber, and Michael Dalby, president and CEO of the Greater Naples Chamber, attended the meeting to accept the proclamation.

The Chamber has identified workforce training, which includes career and technical education, as a top priority, by continuously supporting initiatives that expand and enhance career and technical training opportunities.

The Chamber previously helped secure a more than $3 million Florida Job Growth Grant Fund grant to create the Center for Manufacturing Excellence, an extension of the manufacturing programs offered at Immokalee Technical College. The Chamber also played a pivotal role in advocating for the inclusion of $15 million for a workforce training center as part of the 2018 infrastructure sale surtax initiative.

Collier County is fortunate to have elected officials that understand the importance of workforce training, career and technical education providers that are responsive to industry needs, and philanthropic support for a wide range of vocational and career training.

Sharpening knowledge-based developments heightens a person’s skill level and drives economic growth, and career and technical education is an important component to Collier’s future economy.

Providing students an opportunity to strengthen their technical knowledge and skills has reinforced the possibilities when recognizing the accomplishments it has for our youth talent, community educators and leaders.

For more information about the Chamber’s talent initiatives, email Alex Breault, the director of talent initiatives, at alex@napleschamber.org.