An Electrical Works employee is shown on the job. The Leesburg-based company will work with Lake-Sumter State College on its new electrician apprenticeship program. // Photo provided.

Lake-Sumter State College has received $299,840 from the Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities grant program for a new electrician apprenticeship program.

“The Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant puts funding behind a time-tested workforce education model focused on talent development and reducing the statewide skills gap,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says in a news release from the Florida Department of Education.

LSSC says it will partner with Electrical Works of Florida, based in Leesburg, to offer a new electrician apprenticeship program. Electrical Works will serve as the registered apprenticeship employer and provide structured on-the-job training. Apprentices will receive related technical instruction from LSSC.

“As we continue to work to meet the needs of our local workforce, LSSC is grateful to have received this grant from Gov. DeSantis and the Department of Education,” Dr. Stan Sidor, president of Lake-Sumter State College,  says in the release. “We are excited to begin offering the electrician apprenticeship program. Our industry partners tell us that quality electricians need to have a deep understanding of the craft to troubleshoot an electrical problem and provide solutions. We believe that our partnership with Electrical Works will train and create best-in-class electricians.”

The U.S. Department of Labor projects a 9.3 percent growth rate for electricians from 2018 to 2026 in Lake and Sumter Counties, including over 1,000 expected job openings in that time.

“As a Lake County native, I’m proud to partner with Lake-Sumter State College to offer apprenticeships to the next generation of electricians,”  Joe Ciceri, Owner of Electrical Works of Florida, says in the release. “At Electrical Works, we promote a culture of integrity, excellent service, and community involvement. I look forward to bringing those same values to this program.”

LSSC expects to begin recruiting apprentices later this year for enrollment starting January 2021.