Brevard Workforce’s Aerospace Workforce Transition Program In The Spotlight At Governor’s Meeting AT KSC

Brevard Workforce President Lisa Rice gives her presentation to Governor Rick Scott and his cabinet.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA – Brevard Workforce’s efforts to assist laid off aerospace workers took center stage during a Gov. RickScott-led cabinet meeting held Tuesday at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Lisa Rice, Brevard Workforce president, spoke for roughly 20 minutes as the Governor and his cabinet looked on and listened.

Ms. Rice began by going over the history of the AWT Program, which began in 2008 as a pre-emptive measure to counter the impending Space Shuttle layoffs.

The program aims to assist the roughly 9,000 laid-off aerospace workers by providing job-search skills, new training and classes, and entrepreneurial workshops, among other opportunities.

“(Brevard Workforce) knew this was coming, and we knew that we needed to have the skills training available for them to move into new careers,” Ms. Rice told the cabinet.

Ms. Rice also briefly went over some of the AWT Program’s accomplishments, which include:

  • 6,436 aerospace workers registered on www.launchnewcareers.com
  • 4,467 aerospace workers recieved services
  • 2,026 aerospace workers completed training
  • 256 aerospace workers currently in school or training
  • 550 aerospace workers self-reported finding new jobs

Ms. Rice also told the governor about another Brevard Workforce initiative, Faith In The Future. Under thsi new initiative, Brevard Workforce partners with local faith- and community-based leaders to create neighborhood job clubs that offer typical job-search related support.

The governor and his cabinet — Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam — visited the Kennedy Space Center to conduct a formal cabinet meeting that was open to the public.

“The Kennedy Space Center has been a part of all our lives, so we’ve got to make sure it continues to prosper,” said Scott, who also heard from KSC Director Bob Cabana and Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, who offered a presentation on Space Florida, the state’s aerospace economic development agency.

For more information about the Aerospace Workforce Transition Program, visit www.launchnewcareers.com. For more photos from the event, check out our Facebook page here.