Florida-Puerto Rico partnership boosts work opportunities for Spanish speakers

Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma emphasized the need for Spanish-speaking deputies to assist with translation within correctional facilities and on the streets. Photo via Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

By Mivette Vega

July 29, 2024

Data from The Hub reveals that essential workers in Central Florida, such as teachers, police, and nurses, earn significantly more than their counterparts in Puerto Rico.

Thanks to Florida and Puerto Rico’s close relationship, Central Florida companies and agencies are leveraging their partnership to attract workers from the island.

Last May, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) visited Puerto Rico to recruit for corrections and street deputy positions. Sheriff Dennis Lemma emphasized the need for Spanish-speaking deputies to assist with translation within correctional facilities and on the streets.

“I like to mirror the community that we serve,” Lemma told WESH 2. “I think we’ve had some great success with the folks we’ve hired from Puerto Rico policing agencies and corrections agencies.”

Orlando Health has also benefited from this relationship, creating a partnership with a Puerto Rican health system in 2022 and expanding it in 2023. Now, Orlando Health has branded health offices and clinics in at least five Puerto Rican cities.

Fernando Rivera, a sociology professor and director of the University of Central Florida Puerto Rico Research Hub, noted the mutual benefits.

“There’s a recognition by local agencies that there are many quality candidates in Puerto Rico with the necessary training,” he said.

Rivera’s research highlights the incorporation of Puerto Ricans into Central Florida and the demand for bilingual services due to the growing Latino population.

Data from The Hub reveals that essential workers in Central Florida, such as teachers, police, and nurses, earn significantly more than their counterparts in Puerto Rico. For example, nurses and healthcare workers can see a salary difference of over $40,000.

The economic crisis and Hurricane Maria’s aftermath are driving many Puerto Ricans to seek better opportunities. Puerto Rico resident Victor Sanchez said, “After Hurricane Maria, nothing’s been the same. Everything’s a bit slower.”

However, Hub research intern Raphael Merritt found that migration is often cyclical.

“People might have a house in Kissimmee or Poinciana and still keep their house back home. They aren’t always permanently leaving Puerto Rico,” Merritt explained.

Rivera believes this can benefit Puerto Rico by driving competition and increasing salaries.

“There’s an opportunity to innovate and provide better services to both local and Puerto Rican constituencies,” he said.

Author

Mivette Vega

Mivette Vega is a seasoned journalist and multimedia reporter whose stories center the Latino community. She is passionate about justice, equality, environmental matters, and animals. She is a Salvadorrican—Salvadorian that grew up in Puerto Rico—that has lived in San Juan, Venice, Italy, and Miami.

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CATEGORIES: MONEY AND JOBS

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