By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune  
Published: February 23, 2012

...........Closer to home, though, some Florida manufacturers wonder where we'll get all the skilled workers to fill the factories. Manufacturers like Peter Buczynsky.

Buczynsky wants to expand his Odessa manufacturing company, PharmaWorks, into a bigger building but can't because he can't find enough machinists, engineers and skilled technicians. One reason: High schools have killed off their shop programs.

..........The good news is Tampa Bay area manufacturers are looking to hire. The question is who will do the work.

You've probably never heard of PharmaWorks, but you've probably swallowed a pill that once ran through its "blister pack" machines. It makes assembly-line contraptions that make those plastic and foil cards encasing antacids and cough drops.

PharmaWorks demonstrates Florida's skills mismatch. Florida has plenty of jobs in specialized fields such as nursing and industrial engineering, but too many job seekers with basic business degrees or clerical experience.