Statewide Initiative Offers Entrepreneurship Education to Veterans at No Cost
Do you dream of being your own boss? The Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program is now seeking participants. Qualified veterans will have the opportunity to receive an accelerated entrepreneurship education at absolutely no cost. Now in its third year, this one of a kind program has already generated countless veteran success stories throughout the State of Florida. Space for the popular program is limited, so early registration is highly recommended.
The program is offered through six network partner universities and colleges across the state: Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Hillsborough Community College, University of Central Florida, Univeristy of North Florida, and University of Central Florida. The progam is open to currently serving active duty, reserve, Florida National Guard members or veterans who have been honorably discharged, reside in Florida, and demonstrate a strong interest in entrepreneurship.
“The Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program offers veterans in the state access to high value, entrepreneurship education through our world-class state colleges and universities,” said Carbonell. “This education will empower the next generation of great veteran entrepreneurs to make lasting contributions to the state’s economy.
Veterans can learn more about the program and register for workshops or courses on the Veterans Florida website. Workshops are available through out the fall and the Master course is slated to start in February 2018. Each college or university will offer the same curriculum and dedicate existing small business development resources to the program.
The 2017-18 program will feature three pathways of instruction designed to meet the needs of veteran entrepreneurs at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey. Veterans can enter at any stage of the program and the pathways do not need to be done in any particular order or sequence.
The Discover pathway comprises online lessons that will familiarize veterans with basic terminology and concepts. This online entrepreneurship program is designed specifically for veterans and gives participants a completely online option to start learning the foundations of entrepreneurship.
The Explore pathway offers specialized workshops held on the campuses of our six academic partners. This pathway is comprised of 2-3 hour workshops held at each network partner’s campus. This pathway is designed for veterans with early-stage ideas or early-stage companies and is open to all veterans with no acceptance required.
The Master pathway is an advanced on-campus program that delves more deeply into all aspects of entrepreneurship. This pathway is comprised of 60 hours of in-class training held at one of our six participating colleges or universities and is designed to prepare participants for all elements of entrepreneurship. This pathway is reserved for veterans with well-defined business ideas or early-stage companies. Acceptance into this portion of the program is required.
About Veterans Florida
Veterans Florida is a non-profit corporation created by the State of Florida to help veterans fully transition to civilian life in the Sunshine State. We connect veterans to employers, grant funds to employers to hire and train veterans, and educate veterans on how to open their own businesses in Florida. Because veterans oftentimes need more than employment assistance, we built a network of veteran service providers throughout the state to assist veterans with services such as housing, benefits, legal and other needs. To learn more, visit veteransflorida.org.
