The need for talented manufacturing workers has led Hillsborough County to pledge $1 million toward resolving the local "skills gap.''
A new Manufacturing Academy and Apprenticeship/Internship Program (MAAIP) is a meant to be a "three-pronged approach'' to closing this gap and promoting manufacturing as a viable career path for young workers. The MAAIP also plans to place special emphasis on marketing to students, veterans, women, minorities and underserved communities.
The $1 million in seed money will be split between the Manufacturing Academy; an Apprenticeship and Internship Incentive Program; and marketing of the two to potential private sector partners, students and their families. $350,000 is allocated to
CareerSource Tampa Bay for execution of the program's initiatives.
"This is a robust, proactive step by our Board of County Commissioners,'' says Lindsey Kimball, Hillsborough County Economic Development Director.
The Manufacturing Academy will highlight manufacturing as a viable career path for middle and high school students and military veterans. Students who complete the Manufacturing Academy will be credentialed through the Manufacturing Skills Standard Council's
Certified Production Technician (CPT) certification.
The two-year program fills a void, providing a "continuum" of seamless training between educational institutions and employers. MAAIP will package together existing resources through
Hillsborough County Public Schools and
Hillsborough Community College into new training opportunities for students of many ages. This pool will then serve as a resource for companies who wish to participate in the program to recruit new talent.
Because apprenticeship and internship programs can be costly, many companies do not have these programs in place. $400,000 has been allocated for Manufacturing and Internship Incentives. This aspect of the program aims to bring together students participating in the Manufacturing Academy with the local businesses that can provide on-the-job-training and real-world experience.
CareerSource Tampa Bay is tasked with the job of finding and enrolling manufacturers to participate in the program.
Participating companies must be for-profit manufacturing businesses located in Hillsborough County. They will be required to pay the apprentice or intern a minimum wage equivalent to the average entry-level wage for the industry. A maximum benefit of $8,000 per year per internship or apprenticeship may be paid. Once performance requirements are met, the program will reimburse the company for wages paid to the Manufacturing Academy apprentice or intern.
CareerSource Tampa Bay will aim to raise awareness and engagement of MAAIP to potential students and their families through promotional efforts and marketing outreach, including developing and launching a website to promote the manufacturing industry in Hillsborough County. The website will offer career-building resources like fact sheets, success stories, quick links, videos of local manufacturers, lesson plans and workbooks, internship and apprenticeship opportunities, and more.
The program will be administered by the Hillsborough County
Economic Development Department for the
Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).
The MAAIP is a "team effort,'' Kimball says. It allows the BOCC "to support the manufacturing industry in Hillsborough County by leveraging our existing partner assets to fill the talent pipeline and engage manufacturers in the development of meaningful experiences for students.''
Writer:
Justine Benstead
Source: Lindsey Kimball, Hillsborough County government
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