Universities Receive $10 Million to Help Florida Employment

Tallahassee, FLIn an attempt to boost Florida employment and the economy, State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan recently announced that $10 million was awarded to 11 universities in the state, the Sunshine State News reports.

span itemprop="image" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="display:block">The universities had competed for a share of the $10 million as part of the final phase of the New Florida Initiative (NFI), which was designed to use the system of higher education to "transform the state's economic portfolio."

"Florida's economic history has been dependent on agriculture and tourism," Brogan told reporters recently. "And we don't want to do anything that would stand in their way. May they prosper forever. But it is clear that a more diverse, sustainable economy is needed."

Brogan explained that the program aims to ensure that the state's "innovation economy" is knowledge-based and that it is sustained by high-wage, technological jobs in the fields of science, engineering and math.

The initiative seeks to double the budget of the state university system to $4 billion by 2015, according to the news provider.