ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Petersburg College is now welcoming visitors to the Chris Sprowls Workforce Innovation Hub at the Tarpon Springs Campus. The state-of-the-art facility is primed to become a key location for manufacturing, creativity, and collaboration in Pinellas County, Florida, and a focal point of the campus.

This 10,000-square-foot space is named after Chris Sprowls, the former Florida House of Representatives Speaker. It celebrates his vision of cultivating a skilled workforce by fostering skill development, encouraging collaboration, and contributing to the growth of local manufacturing businesses.

The Hub is made up of three separate and distinct areas that can be rented:

• Entrepreneurial Space

• Makerspace

• Event Space

"The Hub is a solution to building a sustainable talent pipeline for the future," said Dr. Jackie Skryd, SPC's Vice President of Workforce Development and Corporate Partnerships. "It gives us a place where students can gain practical skills and real-world experience, ensuring job readiness. It is also a place where students, businesses, the College, and the community can connect, network, develop ideas, and collaborate, ultimately leading to placement in great jobs. I don't know of a place like this in the area, but it adds to the Tampa Bay region's position as a national leader in talent and innovation."

"With the unveiling of our innovation workforce hub, this is a momentous event," Rod Davis, Provost of the SPC Tarpon Springs Campus, said in his opening remarks at the Hub's kickoff ceremony earlier this year. "This transformative endeavor not only symbolizes SPC's commitment to progress but also serves innovative opportunities that lie ahead. It has been five years of planning and dedication, and I have heartfelt gratitude to those who brought this vision to life and made it a tangible reality. We embrace a pivotal opportunity to work closer with the community, build partnerships with businesses, and, above all, empower our students."

"We are so blessed to live in this community," Sprowls said at the ceremony. "We have amazing leaders who talked about a vision of what this space could be and, whatever small vision I had, they have far exceeded those expectations."

About St. Petersburg College
Founded in 1927, St. Petersburg College (SPC) is Florida's first two-year college. Regionally accredited and nationally recognized, SPC offers more than 200 degree, certificate and transfer programs, including many high-demand, high-skill, industry-recognized workforce certifications. The college's career-focused curriculum is created with input from industry experts to provide students with real-world skills needed to meet the needs of today's employers.