Masonry Magazine December 2017 Page. 90
Florida Masonry Apprentice &Educational Foundation Working with the Florida Department of Corrections
WORDS: AL HERNDON, FMAEF PHOTOS: FDC
~ he Florida
Masonry
Apprentice and
Educational
Foundation (FMAEF) are making strides in the effort to develop skilled workers for the masonry industry in Florida. The FMAEF has Registered Apprenticeship programs throughout Florida. They have a mutually beneficial working relationship with the Florida Department of Education and with Secondary and Post�Secondary Career and Technical Education schools. Although these programs are doing well, they cannot meet all the growing demands for our workforce.
Moving forward after the Great Recession, Florida is enjoying major growth in the construction industry. The Florida tourist industry also continues to grow. We have become the third largest population in the nation. The demand for more and more skilled construction workers has become an increasing concern.
The Florida Masonry Ap�prentice and Educational Foundation explore all avenues to find workers for the masonry industry. One group that we have begun to work with more closely is the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC). FDC is the third largest state prison system in the country. It consists of 148 institutions including 50 major institutions. The Florida Department of Cor�rections houses approxi�mately 98,000 inmates. 95 percent of these individu�als currently in our correc�tional system will return to society and will need a job.
The FDC met with the FMAEF, the Masonry As�sociation of Florida (MAF), and the Florida Concrete Masonry Education Coun�cil (FCMEC) recently. They determined that they could work together to provide a pathway to work for those inmates who wish to learn a trade. Currently upon entering prison, inmates are given a questionnaire to determine eligibility for a training program. Those who are interested are screened for a Career and Technical Educa�tional program for multiple trades. Length of sentence and potential release date must also be consid�ered. Next, the inmates are given the TABE Test to determine their grade level. An eligible inmate is then placed in a program
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