HOLIDAY, Fla — John Graham has reinvented himself over the years and says he’s not afraid to do it again.
“I’m a soldier man. Nothing scares me,” Graham said.
Graham served in the Navy, was a paramedic and was in construction.
But now he’s ready to start a new career in manufacturing.
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“Age kind of went off the table. I’m ready to show these young guys that I got what it takes,” said Graham.
To jump-start this next phase, John is a part of a manufacturing bootcamp at AmSkills.
A non-profit in Pasco County focused on workforce training.
With automation and computers running many factories, the workforce has new roles.
“You need technicians to be able to troubleshoot, diagnose, and fix those machines because in manufacturing, everything is about productivity and efficiency. And when one cell goes down the company is losing money,” said AmSkills director of program services, Tyler Mudano.
Companies like Jabil, Lockheed Martin, and Coca-Cola hire AmSkills grads.
But nationwide, filling manufacturing jobs is a challenge.
A report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows there are nearly half a million open manufacturing jobs.
And projections are that millions more workers will be needed in the next decade.
Graham says the promise of a good salary and benefits, along with the potential for growth, steered him to manufacturing.
“Manufacturing companies they are huge. They have so much growth. And if you want this, you can grow with them,” said Graham.
AmSkills has more manufacturing bootcamps in Pasco and Pinellas County throughout the year.
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