Polk State College has received a $2.8 million Florida Job Growth Grant to expand its advanced manufacturing and industrial trades training programs.
Polk State is one of five colleges to receive grants from FloridaCommerce, the college said in a news release. The grant will support the college’s Manufacturing and Industrial Excellence: Specializing Polk County’s Workforce for Future Growth project, designed to meet regional workforce demands and strengthen the local economy, the release said.
The grant will allow Polk State to launch a welding program as well as enhance its existing Computer Numerical Control Machining Program. Over the three-year grant period, 300 students are expected to receive CNC or welding education, with the goal of an 85% student completion rate by June 2028, the release said.
“With advanced manufacturing on the rise across Florida, this grant helps us directly align our programs with industry needs. By expanding our training options, we are preparing more individuals for in-demand careers in high-tech industries,” Polk State College President Angela Garcia Falconetti said in the release. “We are grateful to FloridaCommerce for entrusting Polk State with the task of preparing highly skilled machinists and welding professionals for our state’s workforce.”
Key elements of the grant include new training in welding for certifications; a third CNC track for Multi-Axis Machining; increased capacity to reduce student waitlists; and the development and strengthening of new and existing partnerships, such as those with NASA HUNCH, Metallica’s All Within My Hands Foundation and Catapult, the release said.
Enrollment in the CNC program had grown 46% as of August 2024, and recent data shows approximately 90% of CNC completers achieve employment in the field, the release said.
“This grant could not come at a more critical time for our College as Polk State is on the cusp of significant growth in workforce training,” Patricia Collins, executive director of Polk State Corporate College, said in the release. “We will continue to build a strong talent pipeline for growing industries in Polk County and across our State of Florida.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk State College receives $2.8 million state grant to expand industrial trades training
Reporting by Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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