Overlooking the intercostal waterways, St. Petersburg College President Tonjua Williams highlighted the college’s workforce education commitments at the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Clearwater Yacht Club on Friday, Oct. 12. Williams shared with Pinellas County’s business leaders that SPC is ranked number one among the 28 state colleges in Florida for having the highest wage graduates.
“SPC works hard to make sure the education we provide yields high-wage jobs,” Williams said. “On average, SPC graduates earn more than $50,000 a year.”
During the Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Williams elaborated on SPC’s ongoing initiative to serve as a community of care and the college’s visionary pillars of:
- academic excellence
- economic mobility
- community engagement
An example of that is the Educational Ecosystem with Pinellas County Schools, Pinellas Technical College and University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The Ecosystem is a collaborative effort to meet the needs of the workforce and provide clarity and guidance for students to be successful.
Of the estimated 64,000 annual job openings in Pinellas County, SPC provides training for many of the employees to fill the positions. The college offers 85 industry-recognized certifications in high-demand business sectors such as technology, healthcare, manufacturing, business and public safety. SPC continues to expand its workforce programs by recently adding nine Bachelors and Associate in Science Degrees and certificates. Some of the programs’ short-term training expansions include:
- Cybersecurity
- Big Data
- Patient Care Technician
- Medical Lab Technician
- Advanced Manufacturing
To learn more about SPC and its workforce commitment, visit here.