DeSantis announces $3 million for PHSC aviation training in Brooksville

Brooksville's airport and Hernando County's workforce pipeline took center stage Tuesday as Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $3 million state grant for Pasco-Hernando State College to expand aviation training. The money is aimed at turning a growing college program into a fuller hands-on pathway for students who want to train, test and work closer to home.

The grant will support PHSC’s Airframe and Powerplant program and help pay for classrooms, labs, tools and instructional technology. A major part of the plan centers on the Brooksville-Tampa Regional Airport, where mechanics are expected to train alongside aviation students in a setting that mirrors the work they would eventually do for local and regional employers.

PHSC is not starting from zero. The college already offers its Aviation Maintenance Administration associate degree at East Campus in Dade City, and students in that track must complete FAA Airframe and Powerplant certification requirements. PHSC also offers transportation courses and certificates in aircraft dispatching, drone operation and primary flight training, and the school says its aviation programs at East Campus have “arrived.” College corporate materials also say PHSC is seeking a building and equipment for aerospace and transportation programs, with proposed offerings that include Aviation Airframe Mechanics and Aviation Powerplant Mechanics. PHSC Foundation materials say the Aerospace and Transportation initiative is partnered with the Wilton Simpson Technical Center.

DeSantis used the Brooksville appearance to argue that workforce education does not have to mean a four-year university route. Florida’s Job Growth Grant Fund is designed for public infrastructure and workforce training, with proposals reviewed by FloridaCommerce and selected by the governor to meet local needs. Since 2019, the program has awarded more than $305 million, created more than 41,000 new jobs and generated more than 32,000 workforce education opportunities.

For Hernando County, the key question is whether the state money translates into more certified technicians and stronger local hiring. Federal Aviation Administration rules require mechanic applicants to meet experience standards and pass written tests, while the Bureau of Labor Statistics says aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians typically need postsecondary education such as an FAA-approved certificate. PHSC says aviation maintenance technicians in Pasco and Hernando have seen entry-level pay around $33,293 and average pay of about $52,358, which helps explain why the college is pitching aviation as both a student opportunity and an economic-development play.

The Brooksville grant fits a broader state push to tie education more closely to industry demand. For PHSC, the measure of success will be whether a $3 million investment produces more training slots, more certifications and a steadier pipeline of aviation workers for employers that need them.