Corrections agencies pitching college students on careers in public safety amid statewide worker shortage


Corrections agencies like the Wakulla Correctional Institution are pitching college students to careers in public safety amid statewide worker shortage. The U.S. Census Bureau says people working in correctional systems has fallen by over 10% in Florida since 2019. Watch now to hear why one student interested in law enforcement is considering going the route of corrections.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Selling students on a public safety career in a competitive job market.

I’m Alberto Camargo, your College Town neighborhood reporter.

Focusing on one industry at this Florida State University career fair whose demand for work remains high.

Data from the U.S. Census Bureau in 2022 shows the number of people who work in correctional systems has fallen by over 10% in Florida since before the pandemic.

It’s a similar story across all government agencies, but corrections have seen one of the steepest drops.

Even with hiring back to rising slowly, Wakulla Correctional Institution assistant warden William Rummel says, “There was a need because we didn’t have enough, now we need more.”

Rummel is talking about more than prison guards there’s no requirement for a college degree for that position.

At Thursday’s Seminole Futures career fair, Rummel says they’re introducing students to other careers within corrections like education, IT, re-entry services, and medical services.

Opening the doors for recent graduates like Cassie Anzalone.

“I chose criminology because I wanted to be able to help people who didn’t necessarily have the tools to help themselves.”

Cassie says she spoke with recruiters from several law enforcement agencies who are interested in hiring her.

When I asked her what she was looking for in that first job, “An element of fulfillment in my everyday life. A salary that is livable and, I guess, equal to the work that you’re doing.”

Rummel says the job market is competitive both for job seekers and for employers trying to get the best talent.

He says his pitch to job seekers like Cassie is focused on a recent pay increase to $22 an hour about $45,000 per year great benefits, but ultimately, overcoming the stigma of working in a prison.

“We were normal people who didn’t know anything about a prison before we started, too. And that’s the truth so it’s easy to talk about. You can make a difference in someone’s life, and that’s not a job most people get to experience.”

“Every place needs law enforcement, and that’s not going away.”

The Florida Department of Corrections is also offering internships to students who aren’t immediately looking for full-time work to get their foot in the door while still in school.

In College Town, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.

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