Polk State College helps close manufacturing skills gap

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Overview:
In 2005, Florida's manufacturers faced losing skilled craftspeople to retirement and other local manufacturers because of a limited skilled labor pool in the region. Unfortunately, as the Baby-Boomer generation retires from an increasingly high-tech workplace, the shortage of employees with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills is growing worse every year. Without the proper training programs in place, companies simply have no way to fill the labor pipeline.

Educational institutions are vital to reversing this trend. But simply getting more students into colleges isn't enough. They must learn the right skills, select the right disciplines and make the right connections to link them with good jobs.

Polk State College's (PSC) Corporate College, based in central Florida, understands the importance of training the next generation of manufacturing employees. PSC offers a variety of classes to help students learn the skills they need to succeed in manufacturing positions.