Manufacturing Alliance of Hillsborough County Poised to Make Local Manufacturing Thrive

FLATE is Florida’s leading go-organization for manufacturing and advanced technical education and resources supporting the high performance skilled workforce for Florida’s manufacturing sectors. The Center’s partnerships with industry and education has created a synergistic alliance, and laid a pathway for industry and educators to assess workforce needs and formulate targeted educational programs at state and community colleges across Florida. Over the years FLATE has leveraged its partnerships to strengthen and streamline manufacturing education and training both locally and on a statewide level.

Most recently FLATE was considered a prominent partner in kick-starting the Manufacturing
Alliance of Hillsborough County, an initiative that is geared to sustain and build the high-tech, high-wage manufacturing workforce in Hillsborough County. The Alliance is spearheaded by the Hillsborough County Economic Development Department, and represents a cohesive partnership between Hillsborough County Public Schools, Hillsborough Community College, University of South Florida, CareerSource Tampa Bay, and local manufacturers and manufacturers associations. Its three pronged approach to support local manufacturers includes: raising awareness about manufacturing career pathways; providing training and aligning postsecondary manufacturing curriculum to match industry standards and hiring needs; and coordinating the efforts of educational institutions, workforce development partners, and manufacturers to develop opportunities and job placements for participants through an efficient system of information sharing.

As part of its scope to boost awareness and interest in manufacturing industry, Hillsborough
Manufacturing Alliance unveiled a $200,000, two-year marketing campaign, and will invest more than $1 million in equipment, training, scholarships and internships. Its website, www.MadeinHillsborough.org, offers a wealth of information and resources for students, parents, veterans, job seekers or anyone interested in joining the manufacturing workforce. As part of its partnership will FLATE and its effort to help meet the demand and educate the next generation of skilled technicians, the Alliance will help support FLATE’s manufacturing day outreach across the state. It is also setting up scholarships to help high school students attend FLATE’s robotics camps, and help fund MSSC training and certification initiatives to help incumbent workers get MSSC and NIMS certified. FLATE’s educational partner and host institution, HCC also plans on working closely with the Hillsborough Manufacturing Alliance to develop a welding program at HCC, and according to a report published in the Tampa Bay Times, has plans to add weekend courses as well. 


For more information on this countywide initiative that is positioned to boost regional manufacturing and “forge a solid future for an industry that is building the world” visit www.MadeInHillsborough.org. For information on FLATE’s workforce related programs and the award winning engineering technology degree program and certifications contact Executive Director, Dr. Marilyn Barger at barger@fl-ate.org, and visit www.madeinflorida.org.


MFG Alliance Video



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