Pinellas County launches 1 Pinellas business alliance push linking employers, colleges and cities on workforce and housing

Pinellas County economic development officials on April 17 told the Board of County Commissioners that the 1 Pinellas Business Alliance is intended to bring employers, St. Petersburg College, workforce agencies and cities together to address workforce skills gaps and housing needs across the county.

The alliance grew from a 2023 CEO exchange and regular roundtable meetings that organizers say let industry leaders identify exactly which technical skills they need and then shape training and incentive programs accordingly. Cynthia Johnson, director of Pinellas County economic development, said the county’s Employment Sites Program has drawn national recognition and that county staff are now tying that work to workforce and housing strategies through the alliance.

Why it matters: county and city leaders said aligning employers, training providers and municipalities could speed hiring for local employers, increase wages for residents who complete training, and help planners target affordable housing and recruitment support where new workers will live. Commissioners pressed for details on program scope, eligibility and how the county will measure success.

County presentation and partner comments

Cynthia Johnson summarized recent program results and the alliance’s role. “This program has been recognized as an international model of excellence by the IEDC organization,” she said, and told commissioners the county’s Employment Sites Program now includes 26 approved projects with about $250,000,000 in total project costs and roughly $37,000,000 in county ESP investments, producing more than 1,600,000 square feet of new or renovated space. She said six of the 10 completed projects increased taxable values by more than $52,000,000.

Johnson also described a workforce-development initiative funded with CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas dollars and a repurposed county position to coordinate training. She said the county and alliance members built a workforce development incentive that uses training providers such as Pinellas Technical College and St. Petersburg College and matches employer investments on a sliding scale to help small employers participate.

Local partners described how the alliance operates in practice. Bart, identified in the meeting as city manager of Pinellas Park, said the alliance “puts us in the room with these businesses” and shifts the focus from attracting firms to a regional pitch that showcases combined county assets. “It's not about Pinellas Park… it's about the county and what we can do together,” he said.

Chris Donacker, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, described Hire St. Pete, a pilot workforce database the chamber developed with business leaders and the alliance. “The number one thing is, it's about the workforce,” Donacker said, adding the database maps local training offers and highlights gaps employers say they need filled.

Dr. Tondra Williams, president of St. Petersburg College, said the college has used alliance input to revise curriculum and increase awareness of non-degree career pathways. “When you have a better job, you live a better life,” Williams said, adding that the college placed about 16,000 students in higher-wage jobs last year and that the alliance connections helped make industry contacts more accessible to training programs.

Commissioner questions and next steps

Commissioners asked for more detail about how the county will coordinate with CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas, municipal partners and training providers if Florida reduces funding for school-based career-technical education. Commissioner Janet Long (asked during the discussion) emphasized the alliance’s potential to direct training toward jobs that pay substantially more than minimum wage.

Johnson said the county will present applications from four Employment Sites Program projects that recently completed third-party gap analyses. Staff also said they will use alliance input to inform the county housing study and workforce incentives and will convene further stakeholder outreach as grant and program specifics are drafted.

Ending

County staff and alliance members said they plan to continue monthly roundtables, follow up with detailed program rules, and bring project applications and incentive proposals back to the board for formal action. Commissioners asked staff to return with clearer implementation timelines, eligibility thresholds and projections of how many residents could be trained or placed under the incentive programs.