Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna delivered $1 million in federal funding Tuesday morning to St. Petersburg College (SPC) to support skills training for SPC’s SMART (Semiconductor, Mechatronics, Automation and Robotics Training for Technicians) Tech Industry 4.0 Lab.
The money funds a pipeline for graduates to secure lucrative manufacturing jobs upon graduation, and will specifically be used to purchase advanced equipment, renovate existing educational spaces and give students real-world training opportunities.
The investment comes as manufacturers across Pinellas County and Florida continue searching for skilled technicians capable of working in semiconductor manufacturing, robotics, automation and advanced manufacturing — positions that employers have struggled to fill as the industry expands…