Tampa Bay jobs: EDC highlights growth and career training

Career training and access to Tampa Bay jobs are central to the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council’s priorities for the coming year. Projects announced during fiscal year 2026 are expected to bring 1,888 jobs and more than $221 million in capital investment to Hillsborough County.

The 22 projects include eight newly recruited companies and 14 expansions by existing businesses. Together, the announced jobs carry an average annual wage of $85,046, according to Craig Richard, the EDC’s president and CEO.

“The quality and availability of talent is the number one reason companies choose our market, and that’s been the case for years,” Richard says.

The organization outlined its results at its October 14 annual meeting, where it announced Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Companies, as its new board chair. Its priorities include working with employers, colleges, workforce boards and industry associations to prepare residents for opportunities in growing industries.

For Richard, that also means helping residents understand which careers are in demand and how to qualify for them.

Some of those pathways do not require a four-year degree. Richard points to manufacturers such as Fresco Foods and Tampa Bay Fisheries as employers with roles accessible to workers without college credentials.

Founded locally in 2014 by Rob and Tracy Povolny, Fresco Foods is investing $10 million in a new facility and plans to hire about 100 additional employees, Richard says.

The EDC’s Tampa Bay Economic Prosperity Foundation also promotes training opportunities through CertUp, a career awareness campaign highlighting routes into skilled occupations. Richard cites programs ranging from approximately four months of electrical line worker training to 13 months for welding or auto collision technology, along with emergency medical technician classes that can provide an entry into emergency services careers.

Residents can search company websites and the Make it Tampa Bay job board for openings. The EDC also shares “Hot Jobs of the Day” through Make it Tampa Bay’s social media channels.

Infrastructure remains another part of the region’s economic equation. Asked about gaps affecting business recruitment and expansion, Richard identifies the lack of mass transportation, particularly as population growth adds pressure to roads and commutes.

He also points to investments in water systems and storm resilience, including Tampa’s PIPES program and One Water efforts, as assets for attracting employers.

“Those types of smart investments are attractive to companies that want to invest here and expand,” he says.

Housing affordability is another concern. Through sister organization Opportunity Tampa Bay Inc., the EDC anticipates a spring 2027 groundbreaking for Ashley East Tampa, a 118-unit affordable housing development with Integral Florida as developer.

The housing is part of the first phase of the Live Learn Development in East Tampa. A second phase includes a planned East Tampa Innovation Center supporting manufacturing product development, commercialization and workforce training.

Richard says helping existing residents benefit from economic growth will require sustained attention to skills, particularly as artificial intelligence changes employers’ needs.

“Upskilling, reskilling and reinvention will be the norm for many in the workforce for years to come,” he says.

For more information on career training, visit CertUpTampa.com. Job listings are available through Make it Tampa Bay.