HIGH-TECH STATE CONFERENCE
State and regional leaders in government , higher education and industry gathered at Eastern Florida State College in June to discuss the need to expand the high-tech workforce along the Space Coast .
• The meeting was led by Henry Mack , Senior Chancellor of the Florida Department of Education , amid continuing growth in aerospace , defense and other high-tech industries in Brevard County .
• Local success in increasing the ranks of their employees is an important part of Gov . Ron DeSantis ’ initiative to make Florida the national leader in hightech workforce development .
• About 50 attendees heard calls for additional training in fields such as aerospace and engineering technology , aviation , advanced manufacturing , computer technologies , robotics and composites fabrication .
• Demand for employees in those areas is strong , with EFSC programs playing a critical role in creating a pipeline of skilled workers .
I ’ m determined to make Gov . DeSantis ’ initiative a huge success on the Space Coast , and grateful for his leadership in tasking Senior Chancellor Mack to guide us through the process .
- President Dr . Jim Richey .
• Other attendees included Kathy Hebda , Chancellor of the Florida Division of Colleges ; Michael Ferro , Executive Office of the Governor ; State Sen . Debbie Mayfield ; and local economic development officials .
• Representatives from Boeing , Lockheed Martin , Northrop Grumman , Airbus US and other companies also participated along with officials from Daytona State College and Indian River State College .
• EFSC ’ s workforce training efforts received a significant boost in 2022 with the Florida Legislature and DeSantis awarding EFSC nearly $ 21 million in funding for a pair of major new high-tech centers .
• They are a Center for Innovative Technology Education on the Melbourne Campus and an Aerospace Center of Excellence on the Titusville Campus .
• In April , the college also announced a 10-year plan to invest $ 87 million in its Cocoa Campus , with a major focus on high-tech training programs and new facilities to support them , including an Advanced Manufacturing Center .
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