ICYMI: Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund allows College of the Florida Keys students to become PADI certified diving instructors
Published on: Jan 08, 2021
Florida’s Career and Technical Education programs offer students the opportunity to get certified and into the workforce faster, and with grant money from the federal CARES Act, it’s never been more affordable to get certified. With seven career pathways, hundreds of individual programs and 76 colleges and technical colleges to choose from, there is an abundance of opportunities among many in-demand careers. For more information on how you can sign up for a career and technical program, visit www.GetThereFL.com
Here’s an example of how students from the Florida Keys were able to take advantage of education grants and earn career certifications.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT… Students at the College of the Florida Keys utilize Florida CARES Act grant to earn certifications and join the in-demand career of diving instructor.
Read more about it Here:
CFK Students Earn Dive Instructor Certification with Rapid Credential Grant
JAN. 6, 2021
Six diving students from The College of the Florida Keys have advanced from the role of student to instructor. Each successfully passed the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI) Instructor Examination (IE) in December, certifying them as open water scuba instructors. The PADI IE is a two-day evaluative program conducted by a visiting PADI employee who tests an instructor candidate’s teaching ability, dive theory knowledge, skill level, understanding of the PADI System, and attitude and professionalism. With PADI certification, widely considered the gold standard in the diving industry, these new diving instructors will be qualified for attractive diving professional jobs around the world— teaching people how to scuba dive.
In addition to earning the respected industry certification, five of the six students also graduated with a CFK Professional Dive Instructor college credit certificate. They were aided in their endeavor by Rapid Credential grants, a state-wide initiative to help individuals, particularly those negatively impacted by the pandemic, quickly train for a career. The grants, which covered tuition, course fees, textbooks, and testing costs, were funded by the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Fund. Those students earned the following industry certifications as well: Divers Alert Network (DAN) diving emergency management provider instructor, PADI Divemaster, PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor, Emergency First Response (EFR) primary, secondary, and care for children with AED instructor certification.
