Pinellas County Manufacturing Industry Event Draws More Than 50 Attendees and High Marks for Value
A September 24 Manufacturing Industry roundtable event held by Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) brought together 56 participants to discuss manufacturing workforce challenges. A post-event survey indicated high satisfaction, with 90% of responders stating that information presented at the event was valuable to them. The overall experience was rated an average 8.2 out of 10, and comments included, “very interesting to hear about the changing dynamics in workforce, “well worth our attendance – learned about some programs that we will use to hire employees,” and “awesome connecting with manufacturers who are in the area.”
Participants represented a wide variety of Pinellas County manufacturing businesses, providing a good sampling of local industry needs. Representatives of local workforce partners St. Petersburg College, University of South Florida, Pinellas Technical College, CareerSource Tampa Bay, AmSkills, and FloridaMakes were also in attendance to listen and add their expertise to the discussion. Amelia Campbell, Pinellas County Economic Development Manager – Workforce, explains, “We know a skilled local workforce is vital to supporting manufacturing industry growth and we wanted to hear directly from our local companies about their needs. The roundtable format facilitated open discussion and allowed us all to dig deeper into how we and our partners can better develop workforce resources and connections.”
Attendees were asked to consider and discuss three main topics:
- What partner resources are most important to you?
- What is the highest priority workforce training?
- What is the highest priority workforce training?
Conversation on those topics showcased some common needs amongst Pinellas manufacturers. Participants indicated that skills training programs and certifications are of high importance, as are training grants to help offset the cost of workforce training. The most common skills gaps manufacturers see in their workforce are commitment to work, work ethic, and technical skills. They placed the highest training priority on the areas of critical thinking, time management, and soft skills. “Gaining this information directly from our local businesses takes the guesswork out of workforce development and will help us craft the right tools and resources for our manufacturing community’s needs,” says Campbell.
Following the guided roundtable discussion, attendees took the opportunity to extend conversations about mutual needs, opportunities for partnership, and access to resources. Many participants continued networking more than 30 minutes after the event’s end.
“We are very intentional about developing relevant tools for greater industry workforce support,” says PCED Director Dr. Cynthia Johnson. “This roundtable event was an excellent opportunity for us to listen and learn so that we and our partners can ensure the continued success of Pinellas County’s manufacturing sector.”
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Future roundtable events are being planned now for additional industry sectors. Contact Amelia Campbell at acampbell@pinellas.gov or (727) 464-7489 to be included.
About Pinellas County Economic Development
Pinellas County Economic Development (PCED) works with existing businesses to encourage expansion and seeks to attract new companies with high-wage careers to our community. Through investment tools, business classes, professional consulting services, trade missions to open new markets, and strategic partnerships, PCED fosters a pro-business environment and promotes the ideal business climate of Pinellas County, Florida. Learn more at www.pced.org.
