Right now, 36 percent of the working-age population in Northeast Florida has a two- or four-year college degree.
Local business and education officials have spent six months working on a way to increase that to 60 percent by 2025.
The launch of “Earn Up” was announced this morning at a news conference morning at the JAX Chamber.
Daniel Davis, president and CEO of JAX Chamber, said it’s both an education and economic development issue.
“We know when companies are looking to invest and expand, they need to know there’s a trained, educated workforce there to step into jobs,” Davis said in a news release. “Making progress to this 60 percent goal not only helps us in the eyes of employers, it absolutely improves the quality of life in our community.”
According to the news release, Earn Up has been a collaboration among the area’s private and public colleges and universities, K-12 school districts, local governments, the business community and nonprofits.
“We are fortunate to have a diverse range of outstanding higher education options in Northeast Florida and, by working together and making it easier for people to take advantage of them, we can significantly increase in the number of residents with education beyond high school,” said John Delaney, president of the University of North Florida and the 2015 chair of the chamber’s board of directors.
Officials have a three-prong plan to reach the 60 percent goal:
• Improving how high school students are moved into college certificate and degree programs. Advanced Placement and dual enrollment are part of the solution, as is Mayor Alvin Brown’s Learn 2 Earn program
• Looking at ways to help remove roadblocks adults face to complete their degree or to pursue a new field, such as giving a closer look at accepting credit for prior learning, adding more online courses or providing more support service for working students.
• Making it easier for veterans who retire or end their service in Northeast Florida to obtain a certification or degree to pursue a second career.
Part of the funding comes from Lumina Foundation, a national organization focused on improving post-secondary education access and outcomes. Local funders include Vistakon, the Community Foundation of Northeast Florida and CareerSource Northeast Florida.
For information, visit earnup.org.