Colliding Visions of Workforce Development on the Space Coast

The word on the Space Coast is workforce development, but the people using the phrase are not talking about the same thing.

I’ve taken an interest in the economic state of the Space Coast while working with Christians of Brevard. I speak with local pastors and ministry leaders up and down our coast and hear about issues and concerns that the care of their congregations, representing some 60 percent of the Brevard population, places upon them. Housing affordability is regularly raised, and it’s not limited to low-income housing needs; it includes housing for families and the elderly. Over 40 percent of the unhoused in our area are youth under 18 and baby boomers over 55.

Lynda Weatherman of our local Economic Development Commission (EDC) hit the nail squarely on the head when she identified workforce development as the primary challenge facing the Space Coast, speaking on a panel at the State of the Space Coast luncheon hosted by the Greater Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce. She was joined by newly appointed County Manager Jim Liesenfelt and Chamber President Cory Skeates.

The root of the issue is that Brevard is growing, as Weatherman noted. In recent years, county planners have focused on capturing “global investment” to increase high-wage job opportunities in Brevard. In theory, access to higher-wage jobs should raise the average quality of life for Brevard residents. That’s a good thing, and county leaders would appear to be doing their due diligence in pursuing it.

But the benefit to Brevard residents is predicated on an intuitive but now antiquated assumption that companies will develop and hire from the existing local populace. That’s not happening. Companies today don’t have to expend on workforce development; they have access to global talent pools.

The result of unmitigated global investment capture, including a history of large corporate planting incentives that failed to attach adequate strings for local workforce investment, is that housing and infrastructure are being squeezed under massive population growth. Lifelong Brevard residents, the children graduating from Brevard County schools, are getting priced out of their own cities, unable to compete against higher-wage earning incoming residents.

And that’s the double entendre of “workforce development.” It was apparent in the panel discussion between Weatherman and Liesenfelt at Tuesday’s luncheon.

Under Weatherman’s direction, the EDC has surveyed the skills and certifications local tech industries will need over the next 12 years and has begun implementing education and training pipelines in local schools to meet those needs. The vision is local training pipelines.

Liesenfelt agrees that the workforce needs “development,” but the vision is talent acquisition. Under his direction, the county is prioritizing infrastructure improvements designed to attract outside talent and accommodate population growth. Parks, libraries, roads, safety services, and housing were mentioned in his county improvement plans.

These are two different visions for Brevard’s future, and it’s unhelpful to confuse them. Industry growth does not necessitate population growth. Demands on our infrastructure go largely away if we install the needed pipelines to develop our existing workforce. Increasing the workforce population exacerbates it.

We need the tech industry. It’s part of our identity, and what makes Brevard the place we know and love. We should be expanding our competitive domain in space, air, defense, shipping and air logistics, and probably even be moving further into microchips and AI. But the mandate of our leaders, both elected and appointed, should be in securing the good and the welfare of the living and breathing people who live under their oversight.

Brevard needs a governing philosophy that recognizes that its first and greatest resource is its people, and commits to investing in them.

— Connor Mahoney is a Brevard County native and graduate of Florida Institute of Technology. He attends Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Melbourne.

— Christians of Brevard is a multi-church initiative that seeks to amplify the voices of local churches and ministries for the purpose of encouraging the local body of Christ and advancing the Kingdom of God. Join our Facebook community @ChristiansOfBrevard