New programs offered at FGCU aim to fill local vacant jobs

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Credit WINK News

Florida Gulf Coast University is launching two programs on Monday to meet a major demand in Southwest Florida.

The end goal for both the construction program as well as the entrepreneur program looks to retain the students the program graduates and put them into local jobs that will pay well.

The entrepreneur program began in 2014 as a brain child of the College of Business.

“Entrepreneurship is necessary everywhere we need creative people to enterprises that can employ others,” President Mike Martin said.

Since the program now has more than 450 students, it will soon have it’s own place on campus next to the new counseling center.

And just a few steps away 40 students will utilize the construction lab.

“We will get hands on with some mock ups, so kind of getting dirty to have them understand what a tradesman is going through,” Craig Capano, founding chair of FGCU Construction Management said.

Capano has done extensive work building local partnerships in order to get the graduates into good local jobs that have plenty of vacancies.

“They are having a difficult time finding tradespeople and workers, but also mid-management,” said Capano.

The entrepreneurial program will soon be housed right in the center of campus following the $8-million construction project.

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