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the bit to get them before they even leave
the program.”
Current students Matthew Liddell and
Ekaterina Mastromarino helped to
explain some of Gil’s teaching style
while working on the program’s hydraulics
instrumentation module. Gil encourages
his students not only to learn the skills
covered in the program, but to help
teach their classmates once they have
mastered them.
Matthew smiled: “The best thing about it is
gaining the condence to teach someone
else.” Ekaterina, who already has both
Bachelors and Masters degrees and is
taking the course to gain the robotics
skills needed to pursue her interests in
biophysics, added: “Learning the new
programs is exciting, and it gives you
a real sense of excitement that you can
share it with others.”
Advancing Industry in
Manatee County
Another reason that MTC’s Advanced
Manufacturing program is soaring above
others is a $201,500 grant that was
awarded to MTC in January of this year
by Governor Rick Scott. The Florida
Department of Economic Opportunity
selected Manatee Technical College to
be the rst recipient of a grant from the
Florida Job Growth Grant Fund.
Thanks to the grant, the school was able
to purchase high-tech equipment used
by manufacturing companies in Manatee
County and around the world. Students
could then be trained using the exact
equipment they will be using on-the-job in
some of the most cutting-edge industrial
work around.
The Florida Job Growth Grant helped
to support MTC in its ability to meet
its mission to produce highly skilled
individuals and resourceful leaders
through collaborative education to meet
the changing needs of our communities
and the workforce.
Advanced manufacturing is a target
industry, not only in Manatee County,
but across the state of Florida.
Communications and Grants Management
Supervisor Maura Howl said: “The only
way to grow jobs and industry is to have
skilled labor in the community. The
Bradenton Area Economic Development
Corporation (EDC) has done a great
job of attracting new businesses to our
community – and the EDC brings new and
targeted businesses to MTC to show them
the skills that are being developed here.”
Sharon Hillstrom, President & CEO of the
Bradenton Area EDC said of MTC and
the Advanced Manufacturing program:
“Manatee County is fortunate to have an