SOUTH FLORIDA – OIC Of South Florida (OIC-SFL) and Broward College (BC) announced a new partnership which strengthens the pathways to college and careers for underserved and underrepresented youth & adults.
OIC of South Florida President & CEO, Newton B. Sanon and Broward College President, J. David Armstrong, Jr., formally announced an articulation agreement between the two entities. This historic day represented, “Innovation at its best” stated Dr. Anita Davis Defoe, Director of Workforce Development at OIC-SFL.
Our collective goal is to expand career pathway opportunities to the community and strengthen the South Florida Workforce. With this new strategic partnership, students enrolled in OIC-SFL’s various youth and workforce training programs, will have the opportunity to earn up to 11 college credits towards an Associates or Bachelor’s degree at Broward College.
According to Community College Week’s Top 100 Associate Degree Producers for 2015 report, Broward College ranks fifth nationally in conferring Associate Degrees and their rankings show significant increase in African-American and Hispanic graduates, as well as Health Science and Nursing graduates. “Through this partnership with OIC, we have a program that will take students to a higher level of hope and opportunity…building the middle class, the American Dream” stated President Armstrong.
OIC of South Florida, through their All A’s* Career Development and Awareness Initiative is identifying opportunities to connect youth to earn college credits and increase their interest in post-secondary enrollment. Over the past five years, OIC-SFL has served over 9,000 youth and family members in Broward County.
Additionally, over 1,000 Miami-Dade College students have received prevention and healthy relationship education from OIC-SFL. Through a recent federal grant OIC-SFL will serve up to 19,200 youth ages 13-19 over the next five years [2015-2019] which will expand this initiative exponentially. “We are committed to elevating the competencies and skills of South Florida’s workforce, with a particular focus on urban communities, as aligned with the skills that employers require, and working to conduct upskilling which can serve to support the rebuilding of the Middle Class,” stated Newton Sanon, President of OIC of South Florida. “OIC of South Florida views promoting transitions to post-secondary learning opportunities as being critical to achieving this end, as many students, particularly in urban communities, lack the confidence that they can succeed in post-secondary education.
This partnership with Broward College provides for an opportunity for OIC-SFL to provide a ‘bridge to success’ and elevate the earning potential of OIC students.”
In attendance were Broward College staff who worked with OIC-SFL to develop the articulation agreement, business and community leaders, partners from Broward County Public Schools and funders who support OIC-SFL’s work in the community which included, Cindy Arenberg-Seltzer, President of Grants and Initiatives for The Children’s Services Council of Broward County; Sheri Brown, Vice President at Community Foundation of Broward, who stated, “This is a Game Changer, I applauded OIC!” Also present were members of the OIC-SFL Board of Directors led by Chairman W. George Allen who shared the historical growth of OIC-SFL and echoed OIC’s mission, “We are here to help people, OIC is here to help everybody…we are here to stay.”
The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, reports that 59% of all Florida jobs by 2018 will require some form of a postsecondary credential. Additionally, detailed in the Aspen Institute’s “Courses to Employment, Partnering to Create Paths to Education and Careers” it is noted, based upon evaluating workforce development projects nationwide, that when colleges and community based organizations (CBO) partner, college enrollment, persistence and completion outcomes increase in general, and particularly amongst those groups impacted by some of the most complex employability barriers.
The College-CBO partnership is considered a replicable best practice that provides individuals a range of supports that better assure postsecondary navigational resiliency, both academically and personally. Thus, partnering with Broward College to encourage college access and credential attainment is significant in offering a solution to the nagging skill gaps amongst jobseekers of all ages in our community and the growing need for workers with higher levels of academic, employability and specialized technical vocational skills for both current and emerging demand occupations.
Education is a key driver of economic mobility, and more educated workers experience enhanced economic security toward self-sufficiency, livable wages, and the opportunity to become contributing members of society. The collaboration between OIC of South Florida and Broward College allows us to provide access to high-quality, targeted, and integrated professional development, vocational certification and employability skills to local residents. In doing so, we prepare the local workforce to meet the needs of employers, while enhancing the career trajectories of individuals.
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