During the 2021 Florida Legislative Session, House Bill 1507 created section (s.) 1009.895, Florida Statutes (F.S.), to establish the Open Door Grant Program (Open Door), which will provide funds to support student completion of short-term, high-demand credit and non-credit career and technical education (CTE) programs at career centers and Florida College System (FCS) institutions.
The Open Door Grant Program was established for the purpose of:
- Creating and sustaining a demand-driven supply of credentialed workers for high-demand occupations by addressing and closing the gap between the skills needed by workers in the state and the skills of the available workforce in the state.
- Expanding the affordability of workforce training and credentialing.
- Increasing the interest of current and future workers in short-term, high-demand career and technical education credentialing and certificate programs.
The Open Door Grant Program funds may be used to cover the cost of tuition, fees, examination, books and materials. The Florida Department of Education will provide grants to agencies on a first-come, first-serve basis, with no single agency receiving more than one-quarter of funds.