The three-county region of northern Florida targeted by Florida A&M University has poverty and unemployment rates well above the state and national averages, and many residents lack the 21st century skills necessary for industry certifications and job preparation. The FAMU Enterprise Information Technology Division and the FAMU Department of Workforce Education and Development propose to establish a new Center for Public Computing and Workforce Development on the Florida A&M campus to serve the public of Tallahassee and surrounding Gadsden and Jefferson Counties. The center also plans to serve as a resource to other public computing centers in the region.
Florida A&M’s Small Business Development Center plans to provide business development training and counseling services through videoconferencing technology, and offer workshops to small businesses with an emphasis on minorities, women, and veterans. The project aims to develop and expand its instructional capacity through an aggressive “Train the Trainer” workshop program, which includes working with Florida’s Small Business Development Agency to create training content and identify and recruit trainers.