High-tech manufacturing needs more skilled workers and the field is about to get them, thanks to a $2.5 million training grant that Valencia received from the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Education. The Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training initiative (TAACCCT) will expand on an existing training program to help women, veterans and the unemployed obtain industry certifications, college-level technical certificates and degrees in advanced manufacturing—and then find jobs and a decent paycheck when they’re done. UCF and Valencia announced plans to build a joint campus in downtown Orlando. Modeled after Arizona State University’s campus in downtown Phoenix, the new campus is expected to serve about 10,000 students. While both schools are still deciding on which programs to offer there, UCF is considering digital media and visual arts, and Valencia is exploring the possibility of moving its culinary, hospitality and graphic design programs, as well as offering general education classes. Before deciding, both schools plan to seek input from neighboring communities particularly in the Parramore area. While addressing the nation’s growing student loan debt—and the troubling default rate at some colleges—The New York Times editorial board recently applauded Valencia’s efforts to reduce the number of students who default on their loans. Valencia students defaulted at a rate of 19 percent compared with 26 percent across a group of community colleges that took part in a recent study. For the second year in a row, Valencia ranked fourth in the number of associate degrees (7,117) awarded to students, out of almost 3,000 colleges and universities across the country. The Community College Week annual ranking also placed Valencia second in the nation for the number of one-year certificates awarded, fifth in the number of degrees awarded to Hispanics and seventh in the number of degrees awarded to African-Americans. Trustees voted unanimously to build the college’s new Poinciana Campus at the intersection of Pleasant Hill and Reaves roads. The campus will be built on 49 acres of land donated to the college by Osceola County. The first phase of the new campus will consist of a 65,000-square-foot building and will cost $23 million.Valencia Wins $2.5 Million Job Training Grant
Downtown, Here We Come
Rendering by Baker Barrios
New York Times Cites Valencia for Helping Students Avoid Defaulting on Loans
Valencia No. 4 Among Top 100 Degree Producers
Site Selected for Poinciana Campus
