One Voice | Government Advocacy for the Metalworking Industry

Manufacturing is a growing industry in the Tampa Bay area, but there aren’t enough skilled people to fill the jobs.

It’s a challenge companies face across the state, and Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to pump $36 million into vocational and technical training programs to help meet those demands.

Roy Sweatman, the president of Tampa-based Southern Manufacturing Technologies, said there are challenges the industry faces to get people interested in a technical career. He said the local industry is growing.

“It could grow faster if we could get the skilled people,” said Sweatman. “We've just been awarded some new business that's going to stretch us, and we're going to need these people learning quickly so they're able to do the work.”

Read more here.