December 3, 2024

The Tampa Post

Business and Community News for Metro Tampa Bay Florida

Florida Manufacturing faces unique challenges, with many small companies struggling to recruit due to limited resources.

Florida Manufacturing faces unique challenges, with many small companies struggling to recruit due to limited resources.

Anthony Kocovic
anthony@thetampapost.com

Tom Mudano the President and CEO of Amskills, founded in 2014 through a grant from the Department of Economic Opportunity and contributions from Pasco, Pinellas, and Hernando counties, aims to address the workforce needs of Florida’s booming manufacturing industry. Located in Holiday, FL, the Amskills Workforce Innovation Center boasts a 15,000-square-foot facility with over $1.5 million worth of manufacturing training equipment.


Amskills Located in Holiday, Florida, Florida Manufacturing faces unique challenges, with many small companies struggling to recruit  June 23, 2024 (photo by Anthony Kocovic)

Amskills offers several programs to recruit and train individuals for the manufacturing sector. Their initiatives include high school programs and the Amskills Career Discovery Boot Camp for adults, which is a two-week intensive course that culminates in interviews with hiring employers. The training focuses on key areas such as manual machining, CNC machining, mechatronics, and robotics, aligning with the current demand in Florida’s manufacturing sector.

 


Amskills Located in Holiday, Florida, Florida Manufacturing faces unique challenges, with many small companies struggling to recruit June 23, 2024 (photo by Anthony Kocovic)

 

Despite the national need for over 3 million manufacturing workers, Florida faces unique challenges, with many small companies struggling to recruit due to limited resources. To address this, Amskills provides registered pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs and customizes training based on employer needs. As a nonprofit organization, Amskills can quickly adapt its offerings to meet specific industry requirements.


Amskills Located in Holiday, Florida, Florida Manufacturing faces unique challenges, with many small companies struggling to recruit June 23, 2024 (photo by Anthony Kocovic)

Amskills Located in Holiday, Florida, Florida Manufacturing faces unique challenges, with many small companies struggling to recruit  June 23, 2024 (photo by Anthony Kocovic)
In Florida, many manufacturing companies have fewer than 50 employees, making it challenging for them to recruit effectively. To support these smaller businesses, While there is increasing interest in creating apprenticeship programs, the U.S. manufacturing industry still lacks a substantial number of such programs.

For more information, potential students and manufacturers can visit Amskills.org or call 727-301-1282.