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CRA to fund FIU pre-apprenticeship course for 60 North Miami residents; board requests cost comparison
Summary
The CRA approved up to $100,000 to help fund a 3–6 month FIU pre-apprenticeship construction trades program for 60 students, while board members asked staff to provide a cost comparison with local technical colleges and to explore Haitian Creole instructional options in future iterations.
The North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency approved a contribution of up to $100,000 to a Florida International University (FIU) pre-apprenticeship construction trades program that will serve approximately 60 North Miami residents in three trades: electrical, plumbing and HVAC.
NMCRA staff presented a program budget of $225,993.09 covering instructional fees, certification costs (including OSHA), classroom materials, workforce placement services and toolkits for graduates. The CRA will contribute up to $100,000 and the City of North Miami is expected to cover the remaining $125,993.09, staff said. The per-student cost in the presentation was $3,612.47.
The program is structured as three 16-week trade tracks (each trade has a 16-week training window), offered in English and Spanish because those are the languages in which the state licensing exams are currently available. NMCRA staff said FIU had informed them it cannot teach in languages not offered by the licensing exam; staff agreed to revisit language options if the exam becomes available in other languages.
Board members raised questions about venue and cost. Staff said the CRA intends to host classes within CRA boundaries if possible but that FIU’s facilities are also an option; the program budget includes up to $226,000 to cover facility costs if a rent is required. Board members requested a cost analysis comparing FIU’s price-per-student with technical or vocational colleges (Turner Tech, Lindsey Hopkins and others) and emphasized that CRA TIF funds must be spent within CRA boundaries, limiting which providers the CRA can fund.
Board Member Charles asked staff to pursue cost comparisons and expressed support for the program while noting taxpayer considerations. Another board member asked staff to prioritize adding Haitian Creole instruction in future iterations; staff said they would pursue that if the licensing exam becomes available in additional languages.
The board approved the funding authorization on a motion by Board Member Burns, seconded by Board Member Estime Irving. The motion carried 3-0.
