Florida Governor Ron DeSantis awarded a $3 million grant to Pasco-Hernando State College for workforce programs. The grant will be invested in the school’s Airframe and Powerplant program at the Brooksville-Tampa regional airport.

Job Growth Grant Fund

The Job Growth Grant Fund was announced in 2019 to help increase the number of high school programs, apprenticeships, and manufacturing partners for workforce training. DeSantis reflected on the state of workforce programs at the beginning of his term as governor and noted the massive expansion of programs over the years, including truck driving CDLs and aerospace training.

DeSantis emphasized the growing need for those in the blue-collar industry, stating that people will always need someone to fix their air conditioning and other essential services. The grant will help with the renovation and build-out of classrooms and labs for the new program, bringing in the necessary tools and instructional technology for hands-on learning.

School officials stated that the money will help expand the college’s capacity to meet regional workforce needs and ensure that graduates are prepared for high-skill and high-demand aviation careers. Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner and alum of PHSC noted that this growth fund and other programs like it have spent years leveling the playing field for students.

Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.