EUSTIS, Fla. — Lake-Sumter State College has received a $5.2 million federal grant to build a workforce training center in Eustis.
The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration. The college will contribute another $1.3 million to the project.
The Eustis Education and Training Center will offer commercial driver’s license and electrical lineworker training. College officials said the programs are intended to help address regional worker shortages in transportation and utility infrastructure.
The center will be built on an 8-acre site donated by the city of Eustis near State Road 44 and Hicks Ditch Road in north Eustis. Plans include indoor and outdoor training areas, along with space for additional programs in the future.
Florida is expected to have nearly 13,500 openings for commercial truck drivers each year over the next decade, according to labor projections cited by the college.
Lake-Sumter State College President John Temple said demand for commercial drivers and electrical lineworkers is increasing as Central Florida grows.
“The EETC will help local employers fill critical workforce needs while creating high-wage career opportunities that allow residents to learn locally, work locally, and build their future here,” Temple said.
College officials said the credential-based programs will prepare students to move directly into the workforce. The college reports a 95% job placement rate for its existing programs in those fields.
Planning for the center is expected to begin immediately. Construction is scheduled to start in early 2027, with the first students expected to attend in 2028.
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