TAMPA, Fla. — Since the pandemic, more 100,000 jobs temporarily closed and left many without a job, and four years later Florida is still feeling the effects.

The Florida Trade Academy is looking to help fill those gaps, though, and thanks to a Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grant, it will be expanding its 10-week Career and Reentry Education program for incarcerated men and women.

What You Need To Know

  • The Florida Trade Academy received a grant from the Lowes Foundation to expand its re-entry education program

  • The program brings training into jails for skilled trade jobs

  • The grant, which was awarded on March 13, is helping FTA fill gaps in skilled trade jobs across the state

  • Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grant was created to provide education for job readiness

The National Association of Builders and Contractors reports that on top of normal hiring in 2024, the industry will need an additional 501,000 new workers to meet demand. In 2025, that number is projected to be 454,000.

FTA President Miichael Pello said grants like these are extremely important for the work they do.

“Due to the amount of people retiring, there will be a 2 million-person gap in the workforce within the next three years, so it’s important for us to educate young people as to why these roles are so important for our community," Pello said.

Joseph Jackson graduated from the program while he served a 12-year sentence.

He said the training was life changing and helped him find work after being released.

“It really inspired me to do more, because sometimes it gets hard, and it was getting hard," Jackson said.

The 10-week course offered Jackson an opportunity to learn and prepare him for his journey once released.

Now, he’s working for a construction company. Occasionally, he’s able to check in with the academy and update them on his professional progress.

“Man, this is a new opportunity for me, so I said, 'You know what? I’m going to jump on this opportunity and do my best,'” Jackson said.

Courses are offered in person and online. Program Director Matthew Ball says the course integrates hands-on learning with workplace readiness.

In one lesson, he’s helping an inmate prepare for a job interview after he’s released. Once the course is completed, students receive national certifications and FTA helps them connect with career opportunities.

“We stop this cycle of individuals returning to incarceration," Ball said. "Rather, we start a cycle of young people immersing themselves in the trades and a win-win for our entire community."

FTA was one of 24 organizations to receive a $48,000 grant from the Lowe's Foundation.