PSC breaks ground for new Diesel and Marine Mechanics Facility in Milton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New $8.1 million project will increase the college’s capacity for workforce certification training.

Pensacola State College broke ground for the new Diesel and Marine Mechanics Facility in Milton that will support workforce training and certification programs leading to careers in the diesel and marine service industry. State and local dignitaries participated in the groundbreaking ceremony, held at the construction site in Santa Rosa Industrial Park East on Thursday, May 19.

Construction is scheduled for completion in March, significantly expanding the college’s capacity to train and prepare students for entry-level jobs with a total projected enrollment of 100. The new facility will initially house in-depth training for diesel mechanics, equipping graduates with industry-recognized Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications.

“The training that will be conducted in this facility will ensure that Pensacola State College continues its part in workforce training for high-demand jobs in Northwest Florida. Diesel mechanics and marine mechanics are high-paying jobs that afford graduates working in these skilled trades a good living for themselves and their families,” said Gordon Sprague, Pensacola State College Board of Trustees chair.

The project will cost about $8.1 million, with funding from Triumph Gulf Coast, a legislative appropriation and student capital improvement fees, which will cover construction, equipment and some of the scholarships for students enrolled in programs at the facility.

Registration is currently open for the 600-hour Diesel Mechanics Technician certificate program and the 1,800-hour Diesel Systems Technician certificate program, in which students gain hands-on training, theory and a full understanding of employability skills, safety and organization.

A new Marine Service Technology program is planned for the future.

“With AI and all the changes that are happening in the economy, you are going to see an emphasis on programs like these all over the country,” said former state Sen. Doug Broxson. “Vocational education is going to be the biggest impact from our educational system for the next 20 years.”

PSC President Ed Meadows thanked Broxson and others in attendance for their key roles in planning and funding the project.

“Whenever we have these kinds of programs that are meaningful to our community and from which our residents can make a good living, we’ve got to have specialized equipment and specialized facilities, and Senator Broxson has made that possible,” he said.

The college’s new Diesel Mechanics Technician certificate program welcomed its first students in January. Classes led by PSC Instructor Zane Davis and Brent Matthews, an adjunct faculty member, are temporarily being held in the college’s Commercial Driver Training facility in Santa Rosa Industrial Park East.

The industrial park is also home to the college’s Commercial Vehicle Driving certificate program and Class A and Class B Commercial Driver License (CDL) training and testing.

“With all the workforce development programs we are focusing on, this college has the ability to do it right. We are hiring the right people who have worked in industry, students are getting the certifications that make them employable, and we are responding to the community and the employers that are coming to our community to make it a better place to live, work and raise a family,” said PSC Dean of Workforce Education Mike Listau.

“People who are qualified want to go to work. They want to build something for their families, they want to show their families that they have self-worth, and they are going to do it through programs like these,” added Broxson. “It’s the American Dream.”

More information is available at pensacolastate.edu or by calling (850) 484-2544.