Educational Initiatives

Your Talent Pipeline Is Broken. Here's How We Fix It Together.

1. Education Pipelines

Showing up BEFORE you need to hire.

  • Direct lines into Charlotte, Lee, Collier Technical Colleges
  • University (FGCU, FSW) Engineering Partnerships
  • Active High School CTE introductions

2. THE HUB: SRMA

Connecting partners across our 5-county region.

  • Connects Manufacturers to Resources
  • Aggregates Regional Job Demand
  • Advocates for SWFL Industrial Interests

3. Actionable On-Ramps

Building real career paths, not just job ads.

  • Structured Apprenticeships & Training
  • CareerSource SWFL & Goodwill Partnership
  • The Able Trust Veteran Connections

The Fix Isn't a Job Posting. It's an Ecosystem Relationship.

Across Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee, the SRMA playbook turns talent gaps into competitive pipelines.


Your talent pipeline starts before the job posting.

SRMA connects Southwest Florida manufacturers with the schools, credentials, apprenticeships, and funding that turn students into skilled, loyal employees — starting years before you need to hire.

2.1M
US manufacturing jobs projected unfilled by 2030
$68K+
Entry pay for FL students with a mfg. credential
$40M
New FL apprenticeship funding, awarded July 2026
The Roadmap

Five stages. One regional strategy.

1

Career Awareness

K–12

Most manufacturers sit behind plain doors in industrial parks that no student has ever walked into. SRMA connects the two sides.

  • Facility tours & classroom visits
  • Career fairs and the annual Made in SWFL Showcase
  • Roundtables across K-12, technical colleges, and universities
Oct 2, 2026 — National Manufacturing Day. SRMA coordinates SWFL tours to count toward the statewide push.
2

Certifications & Credentials

Technical / State College

Awareness opens the door — credentials get a student hired. SRMA links members and students to the ones employers actually trust:

  • MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) 4.0
  • MSSC Certified Logistics / Forklift Technician
  • NIMS machining & industrial maintenance credentials
  • FANUC robotics & CNC certifications
Florida's CAPE Act pays schools and teachers for every student who earns a credential — it's revenue, not cost, and a strong opener when SRMA members approach a school.
3

Apprenticeships & Work-Based Learning

Earn While You Learn

Registered Apprentices earn $60K/yr on average, and 9 in 10 stay employed after completing. Employers recover their investment plus ~44% in productivity and retention gains.

New: $40M in July 2026 USDOL/FloridaCommerce funding prioritizes advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and maritime apprenticeship sponsors — SWFL employers may qualify directly.
4

Scholarships & Financial Support

Removing the Cost Barrier

SRMA helps students and counselors navigate scholarships from SME Education Foundation, SparkForce, AWS, Dematic FIRST, and the ATDM Defense Industrial Base program — and is exploring a member-funded regional scholarship of its own.

5

Hire & Retain

The SRMA Advantage

No single school, agency, or company builds this pipeline alone. SRMA is the one place in Southwest Florida where every stage — awareness, credentials, apprenticeships, funding — comes together under one regional strategy.

Plug your company in.

Host a tour. Sponsor a scholarship. Become an apprenticeship site. Offer an internship. Start wherever makes sense for you.

Employer Partnerships → Retention & Training →
SRMA · Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association · Charlotte · Collier · Glades · Hendry · Lee