Florida Transportation Academy.

The Legislature finds that the growth and sustainability of the transportation industry workforce is vital to the continued success and efficiency of the state’s supply chain and economic competitiveness. In order to prioritize the continued need for transportation industry workforce development programs, the Florida Transportation Academy is established within the department. In order to support, promote, and sustain workforce development efforts in the transportation sector, the department may do all of the following:

(1) Coordinate with the Department of Corrections to identify and create certification and training opportunities for nonviolent, scheduled-release inmates and create a notification process between the Department of Corrections and the department for nonviolent inmates with imminent scheduled-release dates who are expected to seek employment upon release.

(2) Coordinate with the Department of Juvenile Justice and its educational partners to create certification and training opportunities for eligible youth.

(3) Coordinate with veterans’ organizations to encourage veterans with honorable military discharge to pursue employment opportunities within the transportation industry, including, but not limited to, employment as pilots, mechanics, and air traffic controllers.

(4) Coordinate with the Department of Commerce; CareerSource Florida, Inc.; and regional business organizations, within and outside of the transportation industry, to further understand recruitment and retention needs and job-seeker pipelines.

(5) Coordinate with the American Council of Engineering Companies and the Florida Transportation Builders Association to optimize workforce recruitment and retention and assess future needs across the transportation industry in this state.