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Governor DeSantis awards St. Petersburg College $7.2M to give students opportunities at high-wage jobs

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published  July 24, 2024 9:50am EDT
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference on Wednesday morning to announce that St. Petersburg College will be receiving $7.2 million in funding for their new SMART Tech 4.0 lab.

    According to the governor, the $7.2 million award includes $3.2 million through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund and $4 million through the Workforce Development Capitalization Grant Program.

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

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    SMART Tech stands for semiconductor, artificial intelligence, and machine learning training for technicians. 

    "So we're trying to do this in a way that is providing trained workforce and I think that'll be a good incentive to bring some capital to Florida to do this. But this is a very high-skill, very high-tech industry for our state," shared DeSantis.

    FULL CONFERENCE: DeSantis announces $7.2M award for Bay Area college

    Governor DeSantis awarded St. Petersburg College $7.2 million through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund (JGGF) and the Workforce Development Capitalization Grant Program during a press conference on Wednesday.

    DeSantis said high schoolers will also benefit from the funding because of dual enrollment programs. 

    "Through these new programs, students will be able to earn industry certifications in robotics, manufacturing, operations, and networks systems, which will support careers as electrical engineers, industrial engineers, and semiconductor processing technicians" said Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. during Wednesday's press conference.

    According to Diaz, the funding will allow students in Florida's college system to learn without being saddled with debt.

    "Some of the certifications are short term and could be completed in as few as 15 weeks. The goal is to get individuals to work faster and in jobs that provide an excellent career pathway," explained St. Petersburg College President, Dr. Tonjua Williams.

    Officials said the money will be used for purchasing equipment, hiring personnel, building facilities, and acquiring training materials for the new lab.

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