St. Petersburg College lands $7.2M from Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, workforce development grant program

St. Petersburg College (SPC) has been awarded $7.2 million for various tech programs and equipment, including $4 million from the state’s Workforce Development Capitalization Grant Program and $3.2 million from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund.

The funding, which Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in St. Pete, will help the school establish its Semiconductor, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Training for Technicians 4.0 lab (SMART Tech lab).

“Today’s investments in St. Petersburg College’s SMART Tech 4.0 lab reinforce Florida’s spot as the #1 state for talent development,” DeSantis said. “We are committed to investing in opportunities that help students develop the skills necessary to land high-wage jobs and become leaders in industry.”

The grant money will allow SPC to purchase equipment, hire personnel, build facilities and buy training materials for the lab and associated programs.

“These strategic investments made by Governor DeSantis give students the opportunity to learn in fields that are essential for our state’s growth in advanced manufacturing and semiconductors,” Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly said. “The funds will also help the college utilize portable equipment in existing spaces, allowing them to host SMART Tech-related classes while the lab is under construction.”

The state has invested nearly $400 million over the past two years into the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing sectors.

The Florida Job Growth Grant Fund is an economic development program designed to promote public infrastructure and workforce training in Florida, with proposals submitted to and reviewed by FloridaCommerce. DeSantis ultimately selects which proposals receive funding under the program.

The Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Program offers grants to school districts and Florida College System schools to cover costs for creating or expanding career and/or technical education workforce development programs.