Workforce Development
What is Pasco doing to address workforce development and 'the skills gap'?
July 2019 Update
- Youth Program (program lifetime): 71 students enrolled, 47 completed, 19 career placement
- Adult Program (program lifetime): 43 students enrolled, 29 completed, 24 career placement
- The current Machining Program has 11 students
- The current Mechatronics Program has 8 students,
6/19/2019 Innovation Station Launch
4/8/2019 Adult Pre-Apprenticeship Starts
Want a High Paying Career, but not sure how? This program teaches foundational skills through hands-on projects for the manufacturing industry, and you get to explore 5 career tracks to determine which track best fits you. Then we help you get the interview and job if you successfully complete the program and you have the opportunity to become an AmSkills Apprentice. Go to AmSkills.org Opens a New Window. to Register.
3/7/2019 Fox News Business states, "Manufacturing industry is facing a workforce crisis."
12/3/2018 AmSkills visited Seniors at Gulf High School in Pasco County today to conduct hands-on projects and show them manufacturing career opportunities. Out of 32 students and 2 teachers, only 2 from the group has ever visited a manufacturer. We must creatively get the word out that there are great career opportunities in the manufacturing Industry and an apprenticeship is a way to accomplish this with no college debt.
Fostering Educational Opportunities at the Zephyrhills Economic Summit
Florida Manufacturing is Surging
Click This Link to Download and View the AmSkills Newsletter
8/21/2018 Tom Mudano gave an AmSkills presentation to the Pasco County Board of Commissioners with testimonials! See it here: AmSkills Presents on Facebook Live!
AmSkills "Shop Class on Steroids," WFLA's Marco Villarreal reports:
In 2013, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council performed a Manufacturing Gap Analysis and identified a prominent need for people with the knowledge to fill skilled machinists, engineers, and semi-skilled manufacturing vacancies.
As a solution, the AmSkills (ICTC) intergovernmental agency was created. Now we have a local technical workforce to meet the demands of existing Tampa Bay manufacturers, and to help attract advanced manufacturing companies to the Tampa Bay area.
AmSkills was modeled after a German & European dual education/apprenticeship model. This type of training experience blends academics with practical, hands-on education. This model has been utilized in Europe, Germany, and other international and United States locations to successfully create a highly skilled workforce, fill manufacturing job vacancies, attract new employers, and strengthen local economies.
The students completing their education with AmSkills are ready to 'work on the floor' with our local employers. Find out more about staffing your business through a partnership with AmSkills.
June 2019
Fifty-Two (52) individuals have been placed with an employer
Nineteen (19) candidates are working through On-the-Job-Training with an employer
The average wage of all hired positions is $12.63 per hour
To date, program staff are in contact with 79 eligible candidates seeking employment, but there have been more than 450 program inquiries!
New Pasco Program Works To Bridge Job Seekers' Skills Gap
Visit the local CareerSource Facebook Page!
Who is eligible?
This program is designed to help a demographic that is not currently being served by existing programs.
Eligible Workforce Re-entry program participants will be:
- Non-Workforce and Innovation Opportunities Act (WIOA) eligible individuals
- Pasco County Residents
- 18 years of age
- Unemployed or underemployed
- Homeless or halfway house individuals
- Ex-offenders
- Psychological or substance abuse history
- Disabled
The Big Picture
It is anticipated that, at minimum, one hundred and fifty (150) residents will participate in this program and the employment goal is 75%of the participants will remain permanently employed.
As part of this agreement, CareerSource will provide the Pasco County and the Office of Economic Growth with progress reports for up to one year after participate completion of the program:
- Participant enrollment
- Services participants received
- Credentials/skills participants completed
- On-the-Job-Training hours
- Employment status of the participant
- Average # of hours worked
- Anticipated annual income
- Participating Employers
For more information about the Workforce Re-entry Program (OEG19-1051 and OEG18-1029), operated by CareerSource (Pasco-Hernando Workforce Board), please view our Funded Programs page.
Find out more about program funding opportunities:
Office of Economic Growth
727-815-7092