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US Congress member Kathy Castor announced $2 million of grant money for Hillsborough County Public Schools at the Bowers/Whitley Building Construction Academy.
The money comes from two grants: federal funds from this year and a community project fund from last year. Castor said Tampa seeks out and encourages students to pursue these high-skill careers.
“Hillsborough County Schools works with local employers and stakeholders to determine the industries where we need to train young people. What are the areas of labor that we need across the Tampa Bay area? Certainly, everyone knows that’s in construction and medical right now,” Castor said.
The investment assists the Bowers/Whitley program and the D.W. Waters Medical Academy. Kenneth Waite, the plumbing and construction technology teacher at Bowers/Whitley, said these grants are a much-needed lift to the program.
“I’ve been with the district 10 years and they’ve always struggled with money. They give us what they can, but a lot of stuff had to come through donations,” said Waite. “With these funds, we can buy what we need.”
The award will go towards obtaining supplies, completing construction projects, and installing solar roofs.
