Governor Ron DeSantis has awarded more than $9 million from the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to support workforce and infrastructure projects in Bradford and Nassau counties. The funding includes $3 million for the Bradford County School District to build a new Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training facility, with instruction provided through North Florida Technical College. This investment is expected to double the CDL program’s enrollment capacity to 60 students per year.
The Nassau County Board of County Commissioners will receive over $6 million to construct a roadway network needed for an industrial and commercial site near the US-301 and Interstate-10 interchange. This project aims to create a job hub in Northeast Florida, with expectations of generating 1,250 jobs across sectors such as manufacturing, transportation, and logistics.
In addition to these grants, Governor DeSantis announced that Nassau County has been designated as part of the North Central Florida Rural Area of Opportunity (RAO), expanding this designation to 15 counties. RAOs are regions affected by significant economic events or natural disasters that benefit from targeted state support.
Governor DeSantis stated: “Our investments in workforce development and critical infrastructure today will help Florida remain an economic powerhouse in the long run – and our rural counties will always be an indispensable part of our state’s success. We are also amending the North Florida Rural Area of Opportunity to include Nassau County, bringing the total to 15 counties. This designation helps rural communities diversify their economies and accelerate job growth in manufacturing, transportation, and logistics.”
Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly commented: “Governor DeSantis has laid out a clear vision to ensure every community has a strong foundation to support a robust workforce and a resilient, future-focused economy that helps Florida families thrive. These direct investments into Nassau and Bradford counties are perfect examples of how Florida is focused on bolstering key industries. By investing in CDL training, Florida is increasing the shipping and logistics capacity of the state, bringing more jobs for Floridians with technical training and the ability to support moving Florida-made products. Likewise, the development of industrial infrastructure in Nassau County will create a critical job creation hub at the 301/I-10 interchange—attracting job creators to grow their businesses in our communities, creating new jobs for our workforce and promoting long-term economic success.”
The initiatives involve partnerships with organizations including North Florida Technical College, Nassau County Economic Development Board, Florida Trucking Association, Bradford County government agencies, NFEDP, Nassau County officials, and JAXUSA.
The Florida Department of Commerce provides financial support through loans and grants targeting small businesses and key industries statewide. The department works throughout both rural areas like those benefitting from these grants as well as metropolitan regions across Florida. Its mission involves fostering economic opportunities for individuals and communities by partnering with public agencies and private entities for development efforts aimed at growing jobs statewide.
Since 2019, more than $328 million has been awarded through the Job Growth Grant Fund statewide—creating over 43,000 new jobs along with upwards of 33,000 new workforce education opportunities.
For further information about these programs or designations:
– For more on the Job Growth Grant Fund: click here.
– For more about RAOs: click here.
– For information on North Central Florida RAO: click here.
