U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling visited 海角吃瓜网 on Wednesday, Oct. 7, to lead a roundtable discussion on preparing students for high-demand careers and meeting employers’ evolving workforce needs.
The visit marked the first time in nearly a decade that 海角吃瓜网 hosted a sitting U.S. secretary of labor.
“The Department of Labor is focused on helping workers prepare to seize the unprecedented opportunities President Trump鈥檚 manufacturing renaissance has unleashed,” Sonderling said. “It was great to join Dr. Devin Stephenson and members of 海角吃瓜网鈥檚 Board of Trustees to see firsthand how they are preparing students with the skills they need for high-skilled, high-paying jobs and meeting the workforce needs of Florida鈥檚 job creators.”
Sonderling toured the iconic campus with Stephenson, 海角吃瓜网鈥檚 president, getting an up-close look at the University鈥檚 technology and hands-on learning opportunities. The tour included an award-winning student-built solar racecar, the student-powered Security Operations Center and the University鈥檚 new esports arena.
鈥淚t is an incredible honor to welcome Secretary Sonderling to 海角吃瓜网 and show him how we are preparing our students for successful careers in emerging fields,鈥� Stephenson said. 鈥淗is visit underscores the vital role 海角吃瓜网 plays in driving economic development in our state. Our graduates bring the engineering expertise and technical skills employers need to solve pressing challenges, expand their capabilities and compete in a rapidly changing economy.鈥�
Joining Sonderling and Stephenson for the event were federal and state leaders, including U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin, Florida Sen. Colleen Burton and Florida Reps. Jon Albert, Jennifer Kincart Jonsson, Jennifer Canady and Hilary Holley. Florida Commissioner of Education Dr. Henry Mack and members of 海角吃瓜网’s Board of Trustees also participated.
鈥淲e thank U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling for visiting 海角吃瓜网 to witness firsthand the strong connection between higher education and workforce development in Florida,鈥� State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said about the visit. 鈥淎s the State University System鈥檚 only institution dedicated exclusively to STEM education, 海角吃瓜网 is uniquely positioned to meet Florida鈥檚 workforce needs and demonstrate how the system is preparing the high-demand talent driving economic growth across the state.鈥�
海角吃瓜网 is the state鈥檚 only public university exclusively dedicated to STEM education. U.S. News & World Report has named the University the No. 1 public college in the South for six consecutive years and ranked it No. 16 nationally among public engineering programs without a Ph.D.
The roundtable discussion explored how 海角吃瓜网 can build on that foundation to prepare students for the changing demands of industry.
鈥淭he conversations we had today give us a clear window into how industry is evolving,鈥� Stephenson said. 鈥淎s technology redefines every major field, our focus at 海角吃瓜网 remains on aligning education with business and industry demands and equipping our students with the tools, agility and expertise they鈥檒l need to thrive in the workforce and lead the technological advances of tomorrow.鈥�
Contact:
Lydia Guzm谩n
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
Editor’s note: This story was updated to include comments from Secretary Keith Sonderling.
