Month: June 2023

TAMPA, June 26, 2023 /3BL/ – The University of South Florida (USF) and Truist Foundation are addressing the talent and workforce needs of the manufacturing industry through an onsite certificate program in East Tampa. To facilitate this multiyear effort that will benefit local residents and small to large manufacturers, Truist Foundation has awarded The University of South Florida Foundation a $684,000 grant, the foundation’s largest gift to the USF Foundation to date.

With Truist Foundation’s support, USF is developing and will implement an “Introduction to Production Systems” certificate program to train the future manufacturing workforce in high-demand skillsets with the goal of enhancing the economic mobility of participants. The program will take place in East Tampa, which is a predominantly African American and Hispanic community, where the median family income is $35,179 and nearly one-third of the population is below poverty level, according to the U.S. Census American Community Survey. USF is collaborating with community partners to offer access to career development and financial literacy resources to those participating in the certificate program to support pathways from certification to sustainable careers in the field. 

“Manufacturing is a critical sector for our state and regional economy that continues to grow. The sector provides workers with competitive pay, the ability to continue to learn new skills and the opportunity of a meaningful career,” said Iwan Mohamed, West Florida regional president for Truist. “Truist’s purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities, and we believe investing in USF’s new manufacturing certificate program will do just that by creating career pathways and economic mobility.”

The program will foster streamlined pathways to existing employment opportunities within Tampa Bay’s growing manufacturing sector. The Tampa Bay region is one of Florida’s key manufacturing clusters. The region is especially strong in the production of machinery and metal products, plastic and rubber products, computers and electronics, and food and beverage. Companies in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties alone contribute more than 60,000 jobs to the sector. Florida has experienced the 2nd highest growth in manufacturing jobs across the nation.

“This partnership will contribute to our vision of establishing workforce development initiatives that benefit the East Tampa community and serves as a major step toward our goal of enabling smart manufacturing innovation in the region,” said principal investigator Nancy Diaz-Elsayed of USF’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “We are very grateful to Truist Foundation for this generous gift, which will serve to accelerate Tampa’s manufacturing capabilities.”

The initial two years of the certificate initiative’s launch will allow USF to establish and pilot the program. USF will collaborate with community and industry partners to develop an introductory manufacturing certificate curriculum that addresses the local manufacturing industry’s need for skilled talent through a recruitment effort that targets East Tampa residents.

“Certificate programs like this one provide a pathway into high-demand careers with greater earning potential for East Tampa residents,” said Craig J. Richard, CEcD, President and CEO of Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. “As the manufacturing industry continues to grow in this region, so will the opportunities for workers who can build on their skills and find plentiful options for high wage employment.” 

Fundamentals in manufacturing processes, automation technology, and robotics will be the program’s focus areas to offer training relevant to the discrete production industry in the region, which includes metalworking, plastics, electronics, aerospace, and food manufacturing. “Our goal is to recruit a 15- to 30-participant pilot cohort in the first year and grow the program in years two and three,” said Diaz-Elsayed, whose USF project team includes Alexandro Castellanos and Redwan Alqasemi.

“I want to thank Truist and Truist Foundation for their partnership and vision in helping to fund this vital workforce development program in East Tampa,” said USF Foundation CEO Jay Stroman. “The benefits to our community members, manufacturers, and our regional and state economy will be felt for many years to come.” 

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About Truist Foundation 

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation.

About the University of South Florida

The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. With campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF serves approximately 50,000 students who represent nearly 150 different countries.  For four consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked USF as one of the nation’s top 50 public universities, including USF’s highest ranking ever in 2023 (No. 42). In 2023, USF became the first public university in Florida in nearly 40 years to be invited to join the Association of American Universities, a prestigious group of the leading universities in the United States and Canada. Through hundreds of millions of dollars in research activity each year and as one of top universities in the world for securing new patents, USF is a leader in solving global problems and improving lives. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

For Spanish translation click here. 

TAMPA, June 26, 2023 /3BL/ – University of South Florida (USF) y Truist Foundation están atendiendo las necesidades de talento y fuerza laboral de la industria manufacturera a través de un programa de certificación en el este de Tampa. Para facilitar este esfuerzo de varios años que beneficiará a los residentes locales y a los pequeños y grandes fabricantes, Truist Foundation ha otorgado a la University of South Florida Foundation una subvención de $684,000, la mayor donación de la fundación a la USF Foundation hasta la fecha.

Con el apoyo de Truist Foundation, USF está desarrollando e implementará un programa de certificación de «Introducción a los sistemas de producción». El programa busca capacitar la futura fuerza laboral manufacturera en habilidades de alta demanda con el objetivo de mejorar la movilidad económica de los participantes. El programa se llevará a cabo en el este de Tampa, que es una comunidad principalmente afroamericana e hispana, donde el ingreso familiar promedio es de $35,179 y casi un tercio de la población vive por debajo del nivel de pobreza, según la Encuesta sobre la Comunidad Estadounidense de la Oficina del Censo de los Estados Unidos. USF colabora con socios comunitarios para ofrecer acceso a recursos de desarrollo profesional y educación financiera a quienes participan en el programa de certificación a fin de apoyar el camino que va desde la certificación hasta las carreras sostenibles en el campo.

“La fabricación es un sector crítico para nuestra economía estatal y regional que sigue creciendo. El sector ofrece a los trabajadores salarios competitivos, la posibilidad de seguir aprendiendo nuevas habilidades y la oportunidad de desarrollar una carrera profesional significativa”, dijo Iwan Mohamed, presidente regional de Truist para el oeste de Florida. “El propósito de Truist es inspirar y construir vidas y comunidades mejores, y creemos que invertir en el nuevo programa de certificación de fabricación de USF logrará precisamente eso al crear itinerarios profesionales y movilidad económica”. 

El programa promoverá vías simplificadas guiando hacia las oportunidades de empleo existentes en el creciente sector manufacturero dentro de la Bahía de Tampa. La región de Tampa Bay es uno de los principales grupos de fabricación de Florida. La región disfruta de un desarrollo firme, particularmente en las áreas de la producción de maquinaria y productos metálicos, productos de plástico y caucho, computadoras y productos electrónicos, y alimentos y bebidas. Las empresas en los condados de Hillsborough, Pinellas y Pasco aportan más de 60,000 puestos de trabajo al sector. Florida ha visto el segundo crecimiento más alto en empleos en la industria manufacturera en todo el país.

“Esta asociación contribuirá a nuestra visión de establecer iniciativas de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral que benefician a la comunidad del este de Tampa y será un paso importante hacia nuestro objetivo de permitir la innovación en la fabricación inteligente en la región”, dijo la investigadora principal Nancy Diaz-Elsayed, del Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica de USF. “Estamos muy agradecidos a Truist Foundation por esta generosa donación, que servirá para acelerar las capacidades de fabricación de Tampa”.

Los dos primeros años del lanzamiento de la iniciativa de certificación permitirán a USF establecer y poner a prueba el programa. USF colaborará con socios de la comunidad y la industria para desarrollar un plan de estudios introductorio para obtener un certificado en fabricación. El plan abordará la necesidad de talento calificado de la industria manufacturera local mediante una iniciativa de contratación dirigida a los residentes del este de Tampa.

“Los programas de certificación como este brindan a los residentes del este de Tampa una vía hacia carreras en gran demanda con un mayor potencial de ingresos”, dijo Craig J. Richard, CECD, presidente y director ejecutivo del Consejo de Desarrollo Económico de la Bahía de Tampa. “A medida que la industria manufacturera siga creciendo en esta región, también lo harán las oportunidades para los trabajadores, que podrán desarrollar sus habilidades y encontrar numerosas opciones de empleo con salarios altos”.

Los fundamentos de los procesos de fabricación, la tecnología de automatización y la robótica serán las áreas de enfoque del programa para ofrecer capacitación relevante para la industria de producción específica de la región, que incluye la metalurgia, los plásticos, la electrónica, la aeroespacial y la fabricación de alimentos. “Nuestro objetivo es reclutar una cohorte piloto de 15 a 30 participantes durante el primer año y hacer crecer el programa en los años dos y tres”, dijo Díaz-Elsayed, cuyo equipo de proyectos de la USF incluye a Alexandro Castellanos y Redwan Alqasemi.

“Quiero dar las gracias a Truist y a Truist Foundation por su asociación y visión para ayudar a financiar este vital programa de desarrollo de la fuerza laboral en el este de Tampa”, dijo el director ejecutivo de USF Foundation, Jay Stroman. “Los beneficios para los miembros de nuestra comunidad, los fabricantes y nuestra economía regional y estatal se sentirán durante muchos años”.

About Truist Foundation 

Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation’s (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. Truist Foundation’s grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation.

About the University of South Florida

The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. With campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF serves approximately 50,000 students who represent nearly 150 different countries.  For four consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has ranked USF as one of the nation’s top 50 public universities, including USF’s highest ranking ever in 2023 (No. 42). In 2023, USF became the first public university in Florida in nearly 40 years to be invited to join the Association of American Universities, a prestigious group of the leading universities in the United States and Canada. Through hundreds of millions of dollars in research activity each year and as one of top universities in the world for securing new patents, USF is a leader in solving global problems and improving lives. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.