The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) is partnering with Hawks Cay Resort to expand educational and training opportunities in the field of hospitality in the middle Keys. Beginning in January, the resort will host CFK hospitality classes on their property and sponsor three paid internships within CFK’s Hospitality Game Changer Scholar program. Scholars will have the opportunity to live at Hawks Cay Resort during their two-year experience.

The College of the Florida Keys (CFK), with help from a team of community partners, drove home a new workforce development opportunity for professional vehicle drivers in the Keys. As an official Third Party Test Administrator for Commercial Drivers’ Licenses (CDL), approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), the College will now be able to provide testing for A, B, and C class CDL licenses.

The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) held a graduation ceremony for Basic Law Enforcement Academy #73 completed through CFK’s Institute for Public Safety on September 4 at its Upper Keys Center in Tavernier. A total of 20 cadets successfully completed their respective training program. Upon passing the state certification exam, each will be eligible to become a Florida Law Enforcement Officer.

The College of the Florida Keys’ 11-member student team won the “Moonshot Award” at the first-ever “Powering the Blue Economy” national Marine Energy Collegiate Competition. CFK students and staff rejoiced when CFK’s Neptune Rising project was announced as the winner at the virtual awards ceremony on July 23, which was originally scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. The contest, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, was created to encourage bright young minds to develop theoretical technology to power the emerging “blue economy,” a term that refers to the interplay between economic, social, and ecological sustainability of the ocean.

The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) bid farewell to a legend in the history of the southernmost college. Dr. William A. Seeker, who served as College President for 28 years, passed away on July 1, at the age of 81. Seeker’s humble beginnings inspired his career—and now legacy—of changing lives through higher education.

BELFOR Property Restoration’s Florida teams donated 12 Plexiglas protective barriers to The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) last week. After learning that the College was experiencing difficulty in procuring barriers needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at service countertops, BELFOR fabricated the clear panels and sent representatives to personally deliver them. The College previously contracted with BELFOR in 2017 to recover from damage to the Key West Campus caused by Hurricane Irma.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) was awarded $2,553,653 to expand its construction apprenticeship programs to the middle and upper Keys. CFK was one of seven organizations awarded through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity’s (DEO) Rebuild Florida Workforce Recovery Training Program.