Putnam: Work force training, technical education key to job growth

Florida must invest in work force and economic development programs to grow space industry and other jobs, Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam told local aerospace officials Wednesday in Melbourne.

“The state that launched a man to the moon ought to be a leader in innovation and 21st Century careers,” said Putnam, the Commissioner of Agriculture since 2011 and a former congressman. “Finding the talent to fill the jobs that are out there continues to be a concern.”

Putnam met with representatives from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Harris Corp, Orlando Melbourne International Airport, Space Florida and others during an aerospace roundtable discussion hosted by the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast at the Crowne Plaza hotel on State Road A1A.

The EDC hopes it is the first of many meetings with 2018 candidates for state and federal offices, helping to prioritize aerospace issues in their campaigns.

Six other Republicans and four Democrats are among the declared candidates for governor so far.

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Putnam recalled a 2011 state cabinet meeting held at Kennedy Space Center shortly after the retirement of NASA’s space shuttle program.

“It was a funereal tone; it was pretty morose,” he said. “What has happened since 2011 is extraordinary, thanks to all of your hard work and collaboration. So we need to build on that.”

The state should protect its civil and military space missions, Putnam said, “but we also need to be creative and embrace where commercial space is going.”

During last year's session in Tallahassee, the House targeted economic development programs run by Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida as a form of corporate welfare, while sparing Space Florida from attacks.

If elected governor, Putnam said he would seek incentives to compete with states aiming to lure space business.

“We want to have a business climate that incubates more jobs and companies here in the state organically, as well as being competitive for those who want to relocate,” he said. “And that includes supporting Enterprise Florida, Visit Florida and Space Florida.”

Putnam emphasized the value of work force training and education programs that he said offered high-demand, good-paying career paths outside of four-year university degrees, in fields ranging from aviation to advanced manufacturing to nursing.

Space Florida earlier this year cited retaining and attracting talent as the state's “Achilles heel” in efforts to grow aerospace jobs, saying it must become a bigger priority.

The state needs to “de-stigmatize” career and technical education programs, Putnam said, from middle school through the state college level.

“The No. 1 reason why I’m running for governor is to focus on work force development,” he said.

Contact Dean at 321-242-3668 or jdean@floridatoday.com. And follow on Twitter at @flatoday_jdean and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FlameTrench.