Taylor Green and other employees of Benson’s Heating & Air Conditioning.
Provided by Benson’s Heating & A
USA TODAY Network, Reuters
Every day, businesses across North Florida are looking for skilled workers. The jobs are here, but finding qualified people to fill them has become increasingly difficult.
As employers face growing workforce shortages, technical education has become one of the most effective ways to connect motivated students with rewarding careers while helping local businesses meet critical needs. For students and others in our community considering their next steps, technical colleges offer a valuable pathway to a successful career, and it is a path worth exploring.
I’ve spent my career helping Benson’s Heating & Air Conditioning build and support its workforce. As Benson says, I am the “people person,” keeping my finger on the pulse of our team.
Since 1981, Benson’s has hired based on one simple philosophy: character first. We look for people who are hardworking and willing to learn. Technical skills and experience are valuable, but qualities like integrity, a strong work ethic, and a positive attitude are often much harder to teach. If someone has those traits, we believe we can help them succeed.
That philosophy is one of the reasons our partnership with Lively Technical College has been so valuable.
Lively Technical College, headquartered right here in Tallahassee, provides students with hands-on training and practical experience that prepares them for careers in skilled trades. Students graduate with classroom knowledge, lab experience, familiarity with industry tools, and, perhaps most importantly, the motivation required to invest in their own future. That combination makes them especially valuable to employers like us.
Through our partnership with Lively and our own in-house training program, we have built a strong pipeline of talented employees. Lively provides motivated individuals who already understand the fundamentals of the HVAC industry, and from there we can continue developing their skills.
In the skilled trades, hands-on experience matters. Classroom instruction builds knowledge, but working with tools, equipment, and real-world situations helps students develop the confidence and problem-solving skills employers need.
Today, around 15 Lively graduates work at Benson’s Heating & Air Conditioning. Over the past several years, we’ve seen firsthand how successful they can be. Many stay with us longer because they aren’t just looking for a paycheck, they are building a career. That mindset makes a difference for our company, our customers, and the community we serve.
Too often, technical education is viewed as a second choice rather than a first-rate opportunity. The reality is that skilled trades provide stable, well-paying, and rewarding careers.
Many graduates can enter the workforce more quickly and with far less debt than they might accumulate through a traditional four-year path while pursuing careers that are in high demand throughout our region. And while technology continues to transform every industry, skilled professionals remain essential.
No software program or artificial intelligence can replace the technician who restores air conditioning during a Florida heat wave or repairs a heating system when a family needs help. These careers will always require knowledgeable professionals who can show up ready to assist those who need them.
As experienced tradespeople retire, the demand for skilled workers will only continue to grow. Supporting institutions like Lively Technical College means investing in the future of our community and strengthening the workforce we all rely on.
Technical education should not be viewed as a second choice, but as a first-choice pathway to a rewarding career. Students, parents, educators, employers, and community leaders all have a role to play in supporting these opportunities. The more we recognize and invest in technical education, the stronger our workforce and community will become.
Taylor Green is an employee of Benson’s Heating & Air Conditioning.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Technical education Is building Tallahassee’s workforce | Opinion
Reporting by Taylor Green, Your Turn / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Florida State College at Jacksonville President John Avendano speaks Aug. 31, 2026 after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, at right, announced a $7 million state grant for the college’s Cecil Training Institute that will provide more space for FSCJ training programs in skilled trades such as welding and HVAC work. Provided by FSCJ USA TODAY Network, Reuters 
Taylor Green Provided by Taylor Green. USA TODAY Network, Reuters
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This story was originally published September 28, 2026 at 5:33 PM.