Development Education

POLK STATE COLLEGE

CENTER FOR ADVANCED GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY AT CLEAR SPRINGS

The PSC Advanced Global Technology Center at Clear Springs represents a public/private partnership between Clear Springs and Polk State College that will strengthen and grow both business and education in the region.

The advanced technology center is a planned $24 million-dollar facility based on a $12 million-dollar donation by Stan Phelps, Chairman of Clear Springs and a $12 million-dollar match being sought through the State of Florida Facility Enhancement Challenge Grant Program. In addition to the $12 million dollar donation, Mr. Phelps has donated 20 acres of land for the facility.

Quality of workforce is one of the first questions companies ask when they consider locating or expanding a facility. Workforce training at the Advanced Technology Center will address a critical industry need in high-wage, high-skill training and will provide companies across Florida and throughout the country with a much needed highly qualified workforce pool.

Programs offered at the center will enable students to identify and obtain employment in high-wage, high-skill manufacturing and industrial occupations. Training resources will incorporate the latest technology training tools and educational support services. The planned programs will lead to industry specific certifications and degrees for students preparing for those occupations.

Specialized programs to be offered include:

Institute for Advanced Manufacturing
Supply Chain Management Institute
Information Technology Institute
Safety and Homeland Security
University Partnership Institute
General Education Programming

Each of these industry institutes will serve to educate and train post-secondary job candidates while also retraining incumbent and displaced workforce employees in new advanced tech processes relevant to each industry.

The economic development benefits of these institutes will be seen in:

• decreases in unemployment and displaced workers
• increases in salary income of center trained workers
• increases in productivity that translate into increased economic output
• infrastructure support as industries relocate to the Central Florida region
• increases in tax revenues as supply chain sectors and industries relocate to the Central Florida region
• support of anticipated distribution routes via ship, rail, and road

For more information visit: http://www.polk.edu