June 12, 2011

Go to Community College, Earn a Bachelor's Degree: Florida Likes That Combination

Florida's Community Colleges Offer Bachelor's Degrees to Bolster Work-Force Skills 1

Brian Blanco for The Chronicle

St. Petersburg College offers a bachelor's degree in orthotics and prosthetics.

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close Florida's Community Colleges Offer Bachelor's Degrees to Bolster Work-Force Skills 1

Brian Blanco for The Chronicle

St. Petersburg College offers a bachelor's degree in orthotics and prosthetics.

By Jennifer Gonzalez

In early 2000, Florida's work force wasn't keeping pace with demand. The state decided that a then-novel credential, a bachelor's degree from a community college, was the solution. By all accounts, the plan is working.

The new bachelor's degrees were initially focused on education, health care, and information technology. Even as the job market has shrunk since then, demand has remained high for nurses and teachers in particular fields, including math, science, and special education.