news release

Indian River State College will expand its HVAC, construction and solar panel technician training programs with a $2,236,673 grant made possible through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rebuild Florida Workforce Recovery Training Program. The award is part of more than $14 million committed by the State to launch or expand training programs for construction trades in communities impacted by Hurricane Irma.

“The IRSC team is excited to partner with CareerSource and Project LIFT to offer students training that will not only lead to certificates and licenses, but real jobs in a booming construction industry,” says IRSC President Dr. Timothy Moore. “Over the next three years, our College will offer these tuition-free training opportunities that ready students for the job site after a short investment of time. It’s a tremendous value proposition.” 

IRSC will work with CareerSource Research Coast, Project LIFT, and other local organizations to coordinate support services such as transportation, access to child care services, computer skills training/digital literacy, counseling/advising services, English to Speakers of Other Languages Adult Education program, On-the-Job Training opportunities and job placement services.

St. Lucie County residents interested in enrolling in or learning more about the programs should visit https://www.irsc.edu/programs/rebuild-florida.html.

Rebuild Florida is a partnership of DEO and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Launched in September 2018, Rebuild Florida uses federal funding for Florida’s long-term recovery efforts from the devastating impacts of natural disasters. For more information, visit www.RebuildFlorida.gov.

###

In a separate announcement, Indian River State College (IRSC) has hired Jane Kim its new Dean of Workforce Education & Development. Kim comes from the School District of Palm Beach County where she most recently served as Manager of Adult Education, providing leadership, grant management, program planning and operations expertise for 28 school sites. She replaces Donna Rivett who retired from IRSC in December 2020 after 36 years of service with the College.

In her new role with IRSC, Kim offers leadership in the areas of administration, management, supervision, budget preparation, evaluation, training and staff development. She is directly responsible for the operations of IRSC’s Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration; Automotive Technology; Welding; Cosmetology and Barbering; and Office Administration programs.

Additionally, Kim will serve as a resource for economic development entities throughout Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties. She will assess and identify current and developing educational needs and engage in productive training partnership agreements that grow the regional workforce pipeline and prepare IRSC students for in-demand jobs.

Kim received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Florida International University and is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the American College of Education. She is a member of the Florida Association of Technical Education, ACE of Florida, Coalition of Adult Basic Education, the Association of Talent Development, the Hispanic Education Coalition and the Society of Human Resource Management.