Local nonprofit outlines 20,000 sq ft STEM and workforce center for Fort Myers neighborhood

Dr. Jesse Bryson, CEO of STEMCAT (doing business as I Will Ministry Foundation), told the City of Fort Myers Economic Development Advisory Board that his organization is developing a 20,000-square-foot workforce center on property adjacent to the Enterprise Center.

“We are in the process of building a 20,000 square foot, workforce center,” Bryson said during public comment, describing plans for vocational training bays, telehealth services, phlebotomy and medical-data training, culinary arts, and a multiuse event center intended to spur economic activity in the surrounding neighborhood. He said the project will host First Robotics Competition teams and hopes to stage large gaming tournaments when the facility is complete.

Bryson said the center is designed to connect training directly to employers and to offer micro-certificates and apprenticeship pathways through partnerships with FGCU and the Florida Department of Education. “We're partnering with FGCU for digital and micro certification and also with the state of Florida Board of Education for post apprenticeship and apprenticeship program,” he said, adding that graduates would receive guaranteed interviews with partner employers.

Why it matters: The center aims to serve youth and adults in an MLK corridor described as a health-care desert, provide practical credentials for in-demand occupations and anchor neighborhood economic activity.

What’s next: Bryson said land feasibility work is ongoing and regulatory approvals remain outstanding; he asked to return with updates when construction begins.