Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Monday that Northwest Florida State College has been awarded $3 million to develop a new Maritime Fabrication Training Center on the College’s Niceville campus. NWFSC President Mel Ponder attended the announcement in Jacksonville, which highlighted Florida’s continued investment in workforce education and high-demand career training.
The approximately 4,000-square-foot facility will include two purpose-built training bays — one for composite fabrication and one for metal fabrication. The Center will support two new workforce programs: a 22-credit College Credit Certificate in Composite Fabrication and Testing and a 600-hour Industrial Pipefitter Career Certificate with two occupational completion points.
“Northwest Florida has the opportunity to build and sustain the ships, aircraft and advanced systems that carry American power, and our College’s responsibility is to make sure we have the skilled workforce ready to meet that demand,” President Ponder said. “The Maritime Fabrication Training Center will give our students hands-on experience using the same processes and techniques they will encounter in industry, while earning credentials that employers recognize and value. Just as importantly, it will create a direct pathway into high-wage, high-skill careers that allow our students to build their futures right here in Northwest Florida. This is exactly the kind of workforce education investment that strengthens our students, our employers and our region at the same time.”
The Niceville campus is strategically positioned in the center of a growing maritime corridor stretching from Panama City to Pensacola, while also sitting within minutes of Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field and Duke Field. As shipbuilding, defense and aerospace employers increasingly rely on composite materials and highly skilled pipefitters and fabricators, the Center will provide training aligned directly with the needs of regional employers.
Northwest Florida State College extends its appreciation to Governor DeSantis and Florida Commerce Secretary Alex Kelly for the investment, as well as the Northwest Florida legislative delegation, regional economic development organizations, county and community leaders, and private-sector employers whose support and collaboration helped make the project possible.
“This investment allows Northwest Florida State College to further our mission to transform lives in the communities we serve,” said Rhea Goff, Chair of the NWFSC Board of Trustees. “By responding directly to the needs of our region’s employers, we are creating new pathways for students to enter strong careers while helping ensure Northwest Florida remains competitive in industries that are critical to our state and our nation. We are grateful for the partnership and support that made this project possible.”
Students will train in a hands-on environment designed to mirror the workplace, developing technical skills and earning credentials recognized by employers. The project reinforces NWFSC’s emphasis on workforce education that connects students directly with high-demand, high-wage careers while supporting the economic needs of Northwest Florida.
“The Maritime Fabrication Training Center will allow us to provide students with practical, hands-on training that closely reflects what they will experience in the workplace,” said Dr. Christopher Gabers, NWFSC Dean of Workforce Education. “Our goal is to work alongside industry to ensure these programs teach the skills employers need today while preparing students to adapt as technology and manufacturing processes continue to evolve.”
With construction of the Maritime Fabrication Training Center, NWFSC will add another critical piece to Northwest Florida’s growing workforce infrastructure. The investment will help ensure that as maritime, defense and advanced manufacturing employers expand across the Gulf Coast, they have access to a skilled workforce trained here at home and equipped to meet the region’s evolving industry needs.
