Florida Awards $4.95M to Establish State’s First Quantum Workforce Training Center
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Florida Awards $4.95M to Establish State’s First Quantum Workforce Training Center Governor Ron DeSantis has awarded $4.95 million to Palm Beach State College (PBSC) through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to launch the state’s first structured, public-access Quantum Systems Certification Program. This investment is the centerpiece of a larger $8 million allocation aimed at high-impact sectors, including aerospace, cybersecurity, and national defense. The funding will transform PBSC’s nearly 100-year-old Historic Building in downtown West Palm Beach into a modernized Quantum Innovation Center, designed to anchor a new high-tech ecosystem in South Florida.+2 The certification program will offer rapid, modular 8-week training terms specifically designed to bridge the skills gap in quantum-adjacent fields. Over the next decade, the initiative is projected to enroll 970 students and produce 570 graduates trained for high-demand roles in cybersecurity, cryptography, and financial services. By providing hands-on labs and simulation environments, the center aims to demystify quantum technologies and provide a stable talent pipeline for the “Quantum Coast”—a regional push to attract advanced computing firms to Palm Beach County.+1 Strategic partnerships are central to this initiative. PBSC is collaborating with IBM Quantum to provide students with access to industry-standard tools, while the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County and Quantum Coast Capital are working to align the curriculum with the needs of local defense and aerospace employers. This award follows the October 2025 launch of the Florida Alliance for Quantum Technology (FAQT), signaling a unified statewide commitment to securing Florida’s leadership in the global quantum economy. Read the full announcement from the Governor’s Office here and explore PBSC’s vision for the Quantum Innovation Center here. February 13, 2026 Mohamed Abdel-Kareem2026-02-13T17:46:24-08:00 Leave A Comment Cancel replyComment Type in the text displayed above Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.