“America needs a world-class STEM workforce to address the grand challenges of the 21st century.” – President Barack Obama, November 23rd, 2009.
One of the strong White House initiatives during President Obama’s first term was to stimulate education in the science, technology and mathematics (STEM) fields. The goal behind the Educate to Innovate initiative is to call attention to the fact that the U.S. needs to refocus on producing STEM graduates for the purpose of staying relevant amidst strong global competition.
The Manatee Technical Institute
Bradenton is doing its part to answer the STEM challenge with the new Manatee Technical Institute (MTI), a gorgeous, state-of-the-art new public education campus specially designed to teach students technical skills they can put to work right away, including information technology, computer networking, surgical technology, digital video production, and more.
The MTI campus opened in early January 2013 after almost a decade of planning and construction. A lot has happened in those 10 years, but the MTI has opened its doors at the right time. Southwest Florida is one of the regions leading the economic recovery of the Sunshine State, and not just in terms of real estate. More families are attracted to our region’s high quality of life, which means that we will see a greater need for a skilled workforce.
All the courses of study offered at MTI are focused on preparing students for the workplace. Aside from the STEM-related careers, MTI students can also learn the skills necessary for various health sciences subjects like nursing, pharmacy technology, emergency medical services, and others. The health care industry is expanding at a very fast pace in Florida, and with the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the next few years, demand for jobs in this industry is expected to grow exponentially.
The new, 210,00 square feet MTI campus is located on State Road 70, near the Braden River High School. Homeowners in the neighborhood can expect their property values to appreciate accordingly as more families become interested in living close to educational facilities. The MTI fire science program will still be taught at the Lakewood Ranch facility.
