Lockheed Martin and SPC Launch Soldering Training Program with Pathway to Jobs

St. Petersburg College and Lockheed Martin are launching an intensive soldering training program designed to prepare local talent for electronics assembler careers supporting the aerospace manufacturing industry.

SPC and Lockheed Martin will celebrate the launch of the Lockheed Martin Aerospace Manufacturing Training Program and formally sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday, Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. at SPC’s Tarpon Springs Campus, 600 Klosterman Road.

The collaboration will immediately move from agreement to action. The inaugural cohort will begin on Nov. 2.

“This partnership is exactly what workforce education should look like: bringing education and industry together to create a clear pathway from training to opportunity,” said Dr. Tonjua Williams, President of St. Petersburg College. “Our students can gain skills designed around a real workforce need and see where those skills can take them. At the same time, we’re helping one of our region’s major employers build the talent pipeline it needs for the future.”

Three weeks from training to opportunity

The program consists of three weeks of full-time training at 40 hours per week at SPC’s Tarpon Springs Campus.

The first two weeks focus on industry-standard soldering instruction leading to IPC-A-610 CIS and IPC J-STD-001 CIS certifications. During the third week, participants who meet Lockheed Martin’s required passing scores advance to company-specific soldering instruction using Lockheed Martin-designated circuit boards.

Lockheed Martin developed the curriculum and will provide instructors for the program. SPC will provide the training facilities, equipment, circuit boards and other materials needed for hands-on instruction.

“Lockheed Martin is excited to partner with St. Petersburg College and Career Source Tampa Bay to launch the Aerospace Manufacturing Training Program, creating a direct pathway to rewarding careers at Lockheed Martin while providing hands-on education and training,” said Matt Sheran, director and general manager of Clearwater Operations at Lockheed Martin. “This initiative reflects our commitment to growing local talent, expanding opportunity in our community and building a skilled workforce that drives innovation for the future.”

The program is designed as a pre-apprenticeship that can lead to Lockheed Martin’s registered apprenticeship program and support the company’s need for electronics assemblers at its Rotary and Mission Systems facility in Clearwater.

Training tied directly to workforce demand

Unlike a traditional open-enrollment course, the customized program is connected directly to Lockheed Martin’s hiring pipeline. Prospective participants first apply for a position with Lockheed Martin and complete the company’s required employment process before entering the training program.

The goal is to give candidates the specialized soldering skills and certifications needed to move toward employment with Lockheed Martin while helping the company develop skilled workers locally.

“This is what happens when education and industry build a program together from the beginning,” said Belinthia Berry, Dean of SPC’s Workforce Institute. “Lockheed Martin identified a specific workforce need and together we created focused training that allows participants to develop those skills and move closer to a career in aerospace manufacturing.”

CareerSource is also partnering with the initiative to connect eligible participants with grant funding that can help cover training-related expenses.

The Fall 2026 class will serve as the pilot cohort, with approximately eight to 10 participants. Under the agreement, Lockheed Martin will provide instructors for six additional cohorts in 2027. The partners anticipate continuing the training approximately every other month.

The collaboration also supports a longer-term goal of developing a local talent pipeline for Lockheed Martin’s Clearwater operations and creating pathways from pre-employment training into registered apprenticeships and full-time aerospace manufacturing careers.

MEDIA OPPORTUNITY

WHAT: St. Petersburg College and Lockheed Martin MOU signing and inaugural cohort

WHEN: Monday, Oct. 19, 2026
MOU signing/media opportunity: 9 a.m.

WHERE: St. Petersburg College Tarpon Springs Campus
600 Klosterman Road
Tarpon Springs, FL 34689

ATTENDEES:

• SPC President Tonjua Williams
• Andrew Santos, CEO of AdventHealth
• Tarpon Springs Mayor Costa Koulianos
• Tarpon Springs Commissioner Mike Eisner