Lawmaker wants to boost manufacturing with a 'Fresh from Florida' flavor
A Florida lawmaker has a plan that could dramatically raise the average pay for Florida workers.
Sen. Keith Truenow, R-Tavares, seeks to boost the manufacturing sector with a 'Fresh from Florida' approach, referring the 30-year-old state managed entity that partners with farmers and growers in advertising and to promote agriculture at retail trade shows and to export markets.
The average wage of workers in manufacturing was $28.55 in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ziprecruiter.com finds the average hourly wage in Florida is about $15.55.
Truenow's bills (SB 600, SB 602) would create an Office of Manufacturing within the Department of Commerce to support workforce development through grants, and a state managed promotional campaign for manufacturers.
The number of Florida manufacturing jobs has boomed in the past decade, increasing by 23% since 2014 with the state emerging as a leader in making metals, aerospace components and furniture, along with computer and electronic products.
According to Florida Makes, a federal mechanical extension program, there are 72,000 manufacturing companies in Florida, with two-thirds employing 20 people or less.
Chris Dawson, who lobbies for the group, said Truenow's proposal seeks to boost the market exposure for those small companies.
'We want to maintain and home grow Florida's massive manufacturing businesses of tomorrow, and we're starting with the small folks,' Dawson said Tuesday during a Senate Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development.
The bill creates the Florida Manufacturers' Workforce Development Grant Program to provide workforce training, subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
And for a fee, manufacturers would be included in a Florida Manufacturing Promotional Campaign. Those funds would be used to develop a logo and other materials to promote products and Florida manufacturing in media campaigns, trade shows and in export markets.
Florida currently has more than 400,000 workers in the manufacturing sector but that represents a small fraction of the state's job opportunities.
Manufacturing makes up just 4% of Florida jobs, far behind the nation's leader, Indiana with 17%, less than half of Texas at 8.2%, and below the U.S. as a whole at 7.7%, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.
'With the number of people living here it just makes sense to be manufacturing here,' Truenow told the USA TODAY Network – Florida during a break in a committee meeting.
Truenow later amended the bill to establish a $100 registration and renewal fee to participate in the promotional campaign. The committee approved the measure unanimously. Its next and final committee stop is the Appropriations Committee; the House companion has yet to be heard in committee.
James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com and is on X as @CallTallahassee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Plan to boost manufacturing could transform Florida's workforce
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