Trade Schools See Steady Enrollment as Skilled Labor Gap Grows

By Alyssa Perry
Published: Sep. 14, 2026 at 7:41 PM EDT

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – As fewer people choose careers in the trades, the gap is growing between open jobs and workers who can fill them. Employers say they’re struggling to hire, even for good-paying positions.

On the Suncoast, both Manatee Technical College and Suncoast Technical College, part of Sarasota County Schools, say they’ve seen steady enrollment in their trade programs.

While many students head to four-year colleges, other students are taking a different route, learning a trade and getting hands-on experience for careers that are in high demand.

Matthew Marcantoni is one of them. He has been in Manatee Technical College’s Marine Service Technology program for about nine months, but getting there took some trial and error.

“I didn’t go to college so after high school I did construction and liked it but it wasn’t for me… tried the personal training stuff and the same thing kind of happened… and I landed an apprenticeship at my technician job up north and I fell in love with it,” Marcantoni said.

Marcantoni said this is the first time he really feels locked in on a career he loves, so when he heard fewer people are choosing trades, he was surprised.

“People are taking the easy way out with technology advancements today… like with AI, people are just using it ‘cause they’re lazy… and people don’t really know what’s out there. If you want to make a career for yourself I feel like trades are definitely the way to go,” Marcantoni said.

Nationwide, hiring for blue-collar and trade jobs has slowed down, even though the long-term need is huge. One report says up to 2.1 million skilled trade jobs could go unfilled by 2030.

In Florida, the state’s unemployment rate was 4.6% in July, with more than 515,000 people out of work. Florida added jobs over the year, but employers say many of those skilled positions are still hard to fill.

At Manatee Technical College and Suncoast Technical College in Sarasota County, leaders say interest in the trades is holding strong.

“A lot of people are worried about positions and AI taking over. That is not something you’re going to run into with a trade,” said Jodi Kirk, director of Manatee Technical College.

Industry groups say the skilled labor shortage is already delaying projects and driving up costs because there aren’t enough trained workers. That’s why companies aren’t just posting jobs, they’re showing up at the schools.

“There are just so many jobs open. Sometimes they are hiring students before they are even graduated… just because they can’t wait until they’re done. They need people now,” Kirk said.

For these students, learning a trade is more than getting a certificate, it’s a path to employers who are ready to hire.

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