HB 7017 Summary: Career and Adult Education

• Revises definitions and criteria for state apprenticeship programs, including modernizing terminology (e.g., "journeyworker" to "journeyman") and expanding journeyman qualifications to include mentors and specialists with documented skills.

• Increases minimum age for high school equivalency diploma from 16 to 18 years, with exceptions for extraordinary circumstances defined by district school boards.

• Creates two new grant programs: Florida Apprenticeship Grant (FLAG) program with $3 million recurring funding to establish/expand apprenticeship programs at career centers and colleges, prioritizing information technology, health, and machining; and Rapid Response Grant program for high-demand postsecondary programs at career centers.

• Restricts adult education academic services to prioritized student populations (basic literacy, functional literacy, diploma/equivalency preparation, and skill improvement for employment) unless all priority students are served, with online program options required by July 1, 2017.

• Revises workforce education funding to base allocations on weighted enrollment and program costs with 75% state funding and 25% student fees, establishes performance funding criteria emphasizing high-wage occupations and disadvantaged populations, and caps CAPE Digital Tool certificates at 15 (down from 30) in non-college-credit areas.