FL 2030 Trailblazer Spotlight – Michael Preston, Ed.D., Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities
Tell us a little about the Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities.
The Florida Consortium is a partnership between Florida International University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of South Florida. The Consortium was formed in 2015 with a commitment to collaboration for student success. Our universities represent about half of the university students in the state and are located in the three largest cities in the state. We work together to share best practices, advocate for metropolitan universities, and to build better modeling for career success.
What made you join the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and what would you say to other Florida leaders about the benefit and value of this partnership?
I joined the Florida Chamber Foundation to be a voice for higher education in our state’s business community. Each year, we produce over 30,000 graduates and over 80% of them will stay and work in our great state. We want to work with businesses in Florida to ensure our graduates are filling the needs of the state but are also enjoying the benefits of a world-class education by finding a great career. I think the benefits of partnership are just that, and an opportunity to connect learning to earning in our state by embracing the free market represented by the Florida Chamber.
What are the Consortium’s particular areas of interest as they apply to reaching the Florida 2030 Blueprint goals designed to make Florida a top 10 global economy by 2030?
The areas of particular interest we have are couched mainly in our efforts in Talent Supply and Education. It is our bread and butter. Ensuring our graduates have the employability skills needed for career success and the credentials sought after by employers is at the heart of our work. We believe if we can achieve these two goals, many of the other goals of the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida 2030 Blueprint will come into focus.
Click here to learn about the Florida Chamber Foundation’s Board of Trustees who are uniting Florida businesses for good around the Florida 2030 Blueprint.