Workforce

The historical overall unemployment rate for the area over the past ten years and the projected unemployment rate for the next ten years is greater than that of the state of Florida. This high number indicates that the influx of residents to the area continues to outpace job creation.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2000), 86% of the population age 25 or older are high school graduates and 23.1% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

The geographical area of the City of Sebastian (Space Coast and Treasure Coast) houses a number of high-tech industries including NASA and various aerospace industry-related businesses. This attracts a workforce with a higher than average education and technical skills to the vicinity.

Florida is a “right to work” state and the City of Sebastian and Indian River County are basically nonunion areas.

Education

The city of Sebastian hosts six public schools: Pelican Island Elementary School (PK through Grade 5); Sebastian Elementary School (PK through Grade 5); Sebastian Junior High Charter School (Grades 6, 7, 8); Sebastian River Middle School (Grades 6, 7, 8); and Sebastian River Senior High School (Grades 9 through 12).

Higher education is also available in the Sebastian area. There are two 2-year colleges, Indian River Community College and Brevard Community College, and one 4-year institution, Florida Institute of Technology (Florida Tech). Sixty minutes to the northeast, Orlando hosts a number of colleges and universities offering academic and trade curriculum.