Trade schools see steady enrollment as skilled labor gap grows

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - As fewer people choose careers in the trades, the gap is growing between open jobs and workers who can fill them. Employers say they’re struggling to hire, even for good-paying positions.On the Suncoast, both Manatee Technical College and Suncoast Technical College, part of Sarasota County Schools, say they’ve seen steady enrollment in their trade programs.While many students head to four-year colleges, other students are taking a different route, learning a trade and getting hands-on experience for careers that are in high demand.Sarasota circus students head to Smithsonian Folklife FestivalMatthew Marcantoni is one of them. He has been in Manatee Technical College’s Marine Service Technology program for about nine months, but getting there took some trial and error.“I didn’t go to college so after high school I did construction and liked it but it wasn’t for me… tried the personal training stuff and the same thing kind of happened… and I landed an apprenticesh