AmSkills tells Pinellas commissioners its two‑week boot camps help adults find manufacturing jobs

AmSkills CEO Tom updated the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on April 3 about a decade‑old workforce program that pairs manufacturers with both high‑school students and adults to produce rapid placements into entry‑level jobs.

Tom said AmSkills moved from after‑school classes into in‑school programs and adult training to build a larger pipeline. “We created what’s now called the AmSkills Career Discovery Boot Camp for adults,” he said, adding the boot camp is a two‑week program, charges $35 per participant, and guarantees interviews on the final day with multiple hiring employers.

The nut graf: County staff and commissioners said they see AmSkills as a potential partner for training and neighborhood workforce initiatives, and county staff noted work is underway to design a competitive grant program using proceeds from the Science Center sale that would match employer‑aligned training projects.

In his presentation Tom described a multi‑track approach. AmSkills runs a high‑school curriculum developed with manufacturers…