Future Forward: Building a Skilled Workforce with St. Petersburg College and Honeywell

St. Petersburg College advances community mobilization by creating a highly skilled workforce to fill local jobs. The College chooses strategic partners such as Honeywell International to help shape the future of education within the community and connect graduates to employment opportunities including those in aerospace, building automation, performance materials and technologies, and safety and productivity solutions.

With Honeywell’s guidance, SPC created the Mechatronics Certification program. This partnership offers students an on-site tour of Honeywell’s Defense and Space production areas and hands-on training.

Collaboration is key

“It only makes sense that we collaborate closely with SPC to build a pipeline of candidates that can meet the highly technical and precision electronics skills needed in our aerospace manufacturing environment,” said Wendell Krahmer, Senior Operations Manager at Honeywell. “The students participating in the IPC certification classes at SPC have a willingness to learn and are eager to grow their careers which are two critical attributes that Honeywell looks for in attracting and developing high-quality talent.”

By bridging the gap between the classroom and a career, aerospace companies like Honeywell use IPC certifications as a baseline to build their products at a higher level. Many of Honeywell’s products are used in harsh military or space environments. IPC training helps students and employees understand the need for safety and quality standards in everything the company builds.

“Honeywell Aerospace Technologies Clearwater Campus is 110% focused, involved and dedicated in this dynamic IPC Solder Certification,” said Contessa Dorsey, Senior APQP Manager at Honeywell. “We are on board and truly invested in resolving our country’s workforce dilemma by developing the next generation of technically capable employees and by building and growing local talent to resolve problems today that create exciting and brighter futures for tomorrow.”

From graduate to gainfully employed

In September 2024, eight students graduated from SPC’s 14-week soldering program. The students earned two internationally recognized certifications: IPC-A-610 Electronics Acceptability and the J-STD-001 Requirements of Soldered Assemblies. These certifications are required for employment in the medical, aerospace and military and manufacturing industries. As a result of the partnership with SPC, Honeywell hired several students immediately after their graduation from the program. No other soldering program in the area has that level of employer engagement. It is the ultimate pathway to growing a long, successful and rewarding career.

“For me personally, I was able to see a long-held dream come to life when I reflect on this experience: a partnership between the local college and aerospace industries to be forged using the IPC certifications as a bridge to connect the community to jobs,” said Master IPC Trainer Victor Powell.

Derrick Snead

Better Jobs, Better Lives

The new credentials are more than just a piece of paper. For many, it’s a pathway to better jobs and better lives. Graduate Derrick Snead is now a Honeywell employee thanks to his time at SPC.

“I feel great and will be honored to start a new position at Honeywell! I want to be the best and work with the best,” Snead said. “I was in the lineman program and this program was presented to me. I took advantage of the opportunity because I worked in manufacturing before as a tech. I installed and repaired circuit boards. With this program, I noticed that there were some things that I wasn’t properly taught before. With SPC and Honeywell, I got the opportunity to learn more and advance my career with an established company such as Honeywell.”

Greg Walk, Director of Engineering at Honeywell, said he’s excited about the future for the College and the company. “I look forward to deepening our collaboration with SPC, which will not only enhance our local economy but also prepare our workforce for the future.”

About the Certification

The IPC-A-610 is the Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies course that is used as the visual inspection standard. The J-STD-001 is the Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies course and focuses on the materials and processes for soldering assemblies.