SPRING HILL – On October 30, Pasco Hernando State College invited local and state leaders to the grand opening of the Workforce Development Center. This education complex, which is located at Gowers Corner, 18950 Michigan Lane, endeavors to provide opportunities for career growth for students in fields such as construction through experiential apprenticeships.
The ceremony had been delayed from its early October time slot due to the recent onslaught of hurricanes, but PHSC President Dr. Jesse Pisors, PHSC Chairwoman Marilyn Pearson-Adams and company were finally able to cut the ribbon on the hands-on, construction-focused learning compound on Wednesday morning.
“As a state community college, we strive to meet the needs of our students and, where we can, the workforce needs of our local communities and industries,” Pearson-Adams said. “This center, strategically located to serve both Hernando and Pasco Counties, is another example of the many ways PHSC ensures students have access to essential resources and support needed to complete their programs. Student success is always at the forefront of every decision that we as trustees make.”
The college’s leaders joked about the strategic location of the center as it really does bridge the two counties in a peculiar way. Though it is situated in northern Pasco, a short drive across the county line, the campus still bears a Spring Hill address as the town’s limits stretch just south of the Hernando border.
PHSC’s leaders recognize that construction is one of the primary economic drivers in Hernando and Pasco counties, so they took steps to remedy the concern. Much like the Wilton Simpson Technical College and Hernando County at large, the state college has noticed and addressed the need for more practical training and trade-based career programs across the two counties.
“Workforce development programs play a critical role in nurturing economic growth, which is reliant on a skilled and adaptive workforce,” Pearson-Adams continued.
Dr. Pisors noted that this complex was only the second of four such projects designed to prepare individuals for their respective fields, with fire tower and welding center expansions set to come within the next year. “Each one is really focused on a different area of the workforce where we need well-prepared students,” Pisors said.
This dream project began with a phone call between Dean of Workforce Development and Career and Technical Education Alysen Heil and Construction Adjunct Professor Sean Kessler in July of 2021, and it was pitched while Hurricane Elsa was barreling across the state. In the summer of 2022, the Technical Advisory Council (TAC) was formed to workshop the idea.
This team started with Kessler (L&S Design -n- Construction of Florida), Todd Hall (TCT Construction), Chris Parrish (Central Florida Land Services) and Eric van de Boogaard (Hernando County Construction Projects Coordinator).
The current construction lab on the Gowers Corner site can support as many as 16 students and three instructors at one time, and PHSC plans to host two cohorts of students per year. All funds used for purchasing the necessary space and materials were obtained through a grant, but not for much longer. They will now be looking for new ways to supplement further funding for the center.
Each student has already received their OSHA 10 safety certification and completed a class project known as the “Glam” shed that began construction in June 2024. They will begin work on a second Glam shed in November. Eugene Figueroa, who has been an apprentice at the new development center since its opening in May, spoke about the impact of the program during Wednesday’s event.
“I learned a lot […] the soft skills have been very powerful in my life,” Eugene said. “I’m just very thankful that everything you see here besides the metal building, with Sean’s leadership, he has showed us how to build everything here. I’m so proud of that. It’s been a motivation for me, and I’ll tell you right now, anybody that I speak to, I’m going to tell them about my experience, and I’ll tell them you need to come to PHSC if you want to get a skill.”
