To help meet a growing national need for skilled electrical specialists, and at the same time, accommodate an increasing population of students from Puerto Rico and other parts of Latin America, Florida Technical College is now offering its Electrical Diploma program fully in Spanish.
The announcement comes on the heels of an announcement made by the College’s Culinary Arts program last month, which now offers its 13-month diploma program also in Spanish.
“We continue to expand our offerings to help those newly arrived to improve their skills and acquire new ones so they can make a seamless transition into Florida’s job market,” said FTC President, Dr. James Burkett, Ph.D. “In doing so, we also help fulfill the demand for skilled laborers in our community, which in turn is beneficial for the state’s overall economy. In short, we all win.”
The nine-month electrical program’s schedule is taught in five-hour blocks, four days a week. Students engage in hands-on projects involving basic wiring, pipe bending, motor controls, and other relevant skills.
FTC instructor Robert Cruz, who founded the program two years ago, said that incorporating Spanish-language classes into the College’s curriculum is a logical teaching strategy, as it effectively reaches a large part of Florida’s population. The state has seen a historic influx of people from Puerto Rico looking to get back on their feet after the recent devastation left by hurricane María. Cruz added that the newly-arrived can help fill the gap in the skilled labor market that continues to widen as the baby boomers’ generation retires.
“You can’t drive two miles in Orlando or Kissimmee without seeing some kind of construction,” Cruz said. “Employers are looking for qualified personnel, and that demand can’t be filled without adding new workers to the job force. Many job sites are short-handed.”
The Spanish-language classes will be offered at the FTC’s Pembroke Pines and Kissimmee campuses, where 75 to 80 percent of the students coming through the program speak Spanish as their first language. Cruz hired a Spanish-speaking instructor and arranged for textbooks and other classroom materials to be translated from English. The electrical program is also offered in English in three FTC campuses: Kissimmee, Pembroke Pines and DeLand.
Each class can have up to 25 students. Cruz pointed out that many of the applicants are just coming out of high school, but others are looking for a career change or a way to increase their earning potential.
About Florida Technical College: Founded in 1982 to provide private, post-secondary education in specialized fields. FTC offers associate and bachelor's degrees and diploma programs in a range of professions, including healthcare, computer networking, web design, criminal justice, culinary arts, and cosmetology. FTC campuses are located in Orlando, Lakeland, DeLand, Kissimmee, Pembroke Pines, and Cutler Bay. Program availability varies by campus. For graduation rates, median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit www.ftccollege.edu/disclosures.html.
