That’s why the Sunshine State is actively building a labor pool capable of supporting key industries, including aerospace, advanced manufacturing, aviation, health care, financial technology and defense.
As the third most populous state, Florida certainly has the volume, with more than 10 million workers — surpassing the entire populations of 40 other states. But there is much more to the story than sheer numbers.
“We believe workforce is really the currency of economic development. Education is absolutely critical,” says Kelly Smallridge, president of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County.
Indeed the state is pouring resources into an education system already rated as the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report. What makes these efforts so effective is the way these efforts are tailored toward the needs of Florida’s businesses.
“We’re training the next generation so that the economic development we want to grow in Florida is met with the workforce that's needed for it to grow,” says Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
Building the Pipeline
Across Florida, colleges and local school districts are tailoring their education programs to give state residents the skills needed to thrive in the companies the state is attracting. In 2025, for example, Florida used its Job Growth Grand Fund to invest $9 million in new training programs — at Indian River State College and Miami Dade College — to support the needs of advanced manufacturing, aviation and aerospace.
Consider the work being done at NeoCity, a 500-acre technology campus near the heart of Central Florida’s tourism sector. The project is focused on diversifying the Osceola County economy, while recognizing that education is a key element of that effort.
Among the efforts, a pair of local high schools are offering technical education programs to prepare students interested in engineering and technology careers. The county also offers Osceola Prosper, providing free tuition to Valencia College or Osceola Technical College for any local high school graduate.
“We wanted to make it completely open,” says Osceola County Manager Don Fisher, who noted that program has drastically improved post-secondary education access rates.
Farther south, Martin County is in the midst of a years-long effort to develop its labor force, with an emphasis on aviation-related skills. These efforts include a charter high school, Indiantown High School, established through a partnership between Indian River State College and the local school district. The REACH (Reimagining Education and Career Help) workforce training center recently opened, designed to be accessible to a broad segment of the community. The center offers English as a second language courses with an emphasis on the language and lingo needed to work in the aviation sector.
“We’ll also have a bus stop at the facility, which will be open nights and weekends so we can get people up-skilled and re-skilled to get into some of these jobs,” says Ted Astolfi, chief executive officer of the Economic Council of Martin County.
Working Together
New degrees, certificates and programs don’t occur in a vacuum. Instead, they are born out of discussions between economic development officials, educators and industry leaders.
As Palm Beach County was developing its fintech sector, Smallridge remembers pulling together a group of university leaders with company executives to discuss their industry’s needs. That same process is playing out now as Palm Beach has turned its attention to the quantum computing sector.
That input is critical for the colleges, which have responded with a wide range of initiatives geared toward Palm Beach’s targeted industries.
“They mentor, they create internships, and they develop curriculum around what is really happening in the private industry,” Smallridge says.
There is a similar dynamic taking place each year in Pinellas County, where the University of South Florida serves as an anchor for the St. Pete Innovation District. The waterfront project features a wide range of businesses under the umbrellas of health care, technology, marine science and entrepreneurship.
The university works closely with those companies and others in the area. For example, the University’s Department of Medical Engineering meets annually with its industrial advisory board to ensure its curriculum aligns with industry needs and equips students with essential skills. The department actively places interns and engages in cutting-edge research, offering particular value to smaller firms that lack dedicated research capabilities.
“They get access to massive research infrastructure like analytical instruments and machinery and equipment and microscopes,” says Mark Jaroszeski, a professor in the Department of Medical Engineering. “Why would you buy millions of dollars’ worth of equipment when you could contract with the university and get your answer?”
Building a strong workforce requires that everyone involved take a broad approach. It’s also important to recognize that future workers are everywhere — grade school, middle school and high school. Preparing them now, rather than waiting until they graduate from high school, is where the state gains an edge.
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