Skanska has broken ground on a $41m greenfield technical college in Florida designed to meet soaring demand for people skilled in construction and other trades and professions.
It comes as 94% of construction firms across the US say they’re having trouble filling vacancies, particularly among the trades that do the bulk of onsite work, according to an August survey by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Located on a 16-acre site in Plant City, some 25 miles inland from Tampa in Hillsborough County, the dual-building, 52,000 sq ft Plant City Technical College is billed as a first of its kind for client, Hillsborough County Public Schools.
The campus design led by Harvard Jolly | PBK will feature lab spaces and classrooms to accommodate 900 students.
Construction-related courses on offer include HVAC and electrical systems, welding, and computer technology.
The college is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of next year.
Hillsborough County has the seventh-largest school district in the US.
“Across the state of Florida, we are seeing substantial growth and investment in programming and construction for workforce development and CTE facilities that serve as beacons of opportunity, providing essential skills and training to meet the demands of our evolving workforce,” said Daniel Abou-Jaoude, vice-president at Skanska.
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