Ryan McKinnon Staff Writer With schools and businesses shuttered statewide, studies have ground to a halt for thousands of students studying a trade. This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Sign up for our daily or breaking newsletters to stay informed. If local news is important to you, consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. *** The head of a mannequin has taken the place of a person as Dorian Haywood, 30, practices the dental assistant skills he was learning at Manatee Technical College. With school closed and dental offices open only for emergency procedures as the state grapples with COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, students like Haywood are left on the sidelines. “This changed the whole tempo of everything. You can get the book knowledge through the online course, but this is something that is very hands-on,” Haywood said. “To master the craft, you have to do the hands-on.” Like Haywood, the thousands of aspiring mechanics, paramedics, cosmetologists, machinists, welders and electricians studying at Florida’s technical colleges are in limbo. They are unable to get the real-world practice they need to be certified, and there are no clear answers at this point. #apolloLink{color:#000;background-color:#F4BE11;text-shadow: none;padding: 8px 15px 10px;font-family: ‘Roboto’, sans-serif;font-weight: 600;border-radius:10px;} See our complete coverage of the coronavirus outbreak The Department of Education has emphasized “grace and compassion” as K-12 schools shift their learning online. In Sarasota, teachers are not supposed to give students a score of less than 70%, as long as they make an effort, and students who don’t complete their online courses will be given extended time to make up the work. But the governing boards, councils and accrediting bodies that set standards for various industries know that the marketplace is […]
