Florida Gateway College Gets $3 Million Grant for Construction Trades Center
Florida Gateway College (FGC) will receive a $3 million federal grant, the largest in its history, to build a new Building Construction Technology Center and launch trades programs in rural North Florida, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) announced at the college’s Lake City campus.
The five-year award comes through the Strengthening Institutions Program, a U.S. Department of Education program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. This year’s competition prioritized rural institutions and programs that build career pathways and workforce readiness.
The grant will renovate an existing campus building for classroom space and add a 4,800-square-foot construction lab with modern tools and technology, new HVAC and exhaust systems, and upgraded electrical and IT capabilities. FGC plans two stackable programs: a Building Construction Specialist certificate and a Building Construction Technology Associate in Science degree.
Year one, funded at $1,583,000, covers the building renovation and the foundation for the new lab. Construction, equipment purchases and curriculum development follow in year two, and classes are expected to begin in fall 2028.
Why it matters
The program is meant to train local workers for the building trades in a rural area. Builders and contractors in North Florida may eventually see a new source of trained workers.
Source: Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), October 7, 2026. Read the original release
