Reducing Student Barriers to Manufacturing Careers

In October 2025, Mechanism (formerly the Urban Manufacturing Alliance) and The Century Foundation hosted the Industry & Inclusion (I&I) South Fall Gathering in Tampa at Hillsborough Community College (HCC). This was the second in-person meeting for this group, which includes workforce leaders, educators, and changemakers from across the American South. The cohort meetings provide the opportunity to reaffirm their dedication to addressing barriers in manufacturing workforce development at their institutions, focusing on fairness, access, and opportunity.

The intimate gathering was hosted by the Engineering Technology program at Hillsborough College (Thank you Shirley Dobbins!) and featured breakout sessions, coaching, and peer-led discussions that sparked honest conversations about the realities of implementing programs in a rapidly changing political and economic environment. Participants explored practical strategies, from overcoming transportation and enrollment barriers to building partnerships with K-12 schools and engaging parents more meaningfully. 

Dr. Barger, Senior Educational Advisor at FLATE (Florida Advanced Technological Education Center), presented on how colleges can better engage in regional economic development activities, based on work supported by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with Rutgers University’s Education and Employment Research Center (EERC).

During the meeting, participants emphasized the need to “push through the pause,” keep momentum even when external conditions change, and design systems that adapt without losing sight of the core mission: expanding opportunity for all students.

The cohort team from St. Petersburg College (SPC) is working on a project to expand opportunities for students who are not comfortable or confident with their math skills which can make engagement and ultimately success in manufacturing programs challenging.  The cohort is developing manufacturing-relevant materials to make math more meaningful and accessible for all incoming students.  Andres Valencia-Cardenas and Brian Bell from SPC will offer short student workshops sharing the materials that will ultimately become available online for others.

As the I&I South cohort nears its conclusion, the sense of possibility remains strong. Participants left the gathering motivated to carry this work forward not just within their own institutions, but through a broader, sustained community of practice. There is real momentum to build on the foundation laid at this event. One attendee reflected, “This is more than a program, it’s a calling. We’re not just building pathways, we’re building belief.”