Florida Colleges Lead National Manufacturing List

On Wednesday, the Manufacturing Institute recognized 11 members of the Florida College System (FCS) for making the M-list which the organization defines as high schools, community colleges, technical centers and universities that organize coursework around industry standards. Florida has more schools on the M-list than any other state. One of Gov. Rick Scotts top priorities in the recent legislative session was to eliminate the manufacturing sales tax which proponents insist will help grow that industry.

I am very proud the Manufacturing Institute recognized 11 Florida colleges for incorporating industry standards into manufacturing education and job training, said FCS Chancellor Randy Hanna on Wednesday. The Florida College Systems strong connection to the manufacturing community ensures our students are receiving the highest quality education that will prepare them for good jobs.

Nancy Stephens, the executive director of Florida Manufacturers Association said the M-list shows Florida is ready to take off on manufacturing.

The Florida College System is getting students ready to compete and excel in the workforce, said Stephens Florida is poised to be the No. 1 manufacturing state in the nation and the FCS will play an important role in filling our need for talent in high-tech, high-wage advanced manufacturing jobs.

The following FCS schools made the M-list:

Brevard Community College
Broward College
College of Central Florida
Florida Gateway College
Florida State College at Jacksonville
Hillsborough Community College
Pensacola State College
Polk State College
St. Petersburg College
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota
Tallahassee Community College.