Palm Beach State College Awarded $5M for Quantum, Cloud, Cybersecurity Training

by News Desk | Feb 15, 2026 · 9:24 am | School, Boca Raton Archive | 0 comments

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BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Palm Beach County is getting the biggest share of a new round of Florida Job Growth Grant funding, with Palm Beach State College set to receive $4.95 million for a new workforce program in computing and emerging quantum technologies.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced more than $8 million in total awards through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund, with additional funding going to Melbourne Orlando International Airport and Broward College. The state says the grants are aimed at “critical infrastructure investments” and workforce training tied to aerospace and aviation, military and defense, cybersecurity, financial services, and other high-demand sectors.

For Palm Beach County, the headline project is a new Quantum Innovation Center planned for downtown West Palm Beach, paired with a “Quantum Systems Certification Program” designed around short, modular training delivered in 8-week terms. The state’s announcement says the program is expected to enroll 970 students and produce 570 completions over 10 years.

Palm Beach State’s plan centers on modernizing a historic college building in downtown West Palm Beach into what the proposal describes as a technology-focused instructional hub, with quantum simulation labs, cloud-computing classrooms and space for collaboration and employer engagement. The college’s proposal describes the program as a public-facing workforce offering meant to serve a broad mix of learners, including adult career changers and people seeking rapid re-skilling.

The noncredit certification is structured around four stackable modules, moving from an introduction to quantum computing through applied projects. The curriculum is built to develop transferable skills in cloud computing and Python programming, with preparation for industry-recognized credentials including AWS Cloud Practitioner and a Python programming certification. Palm Beach State’s plan also outlines longer-range goals: building a pipeline from the noncredit program into future for-credit offerings, including a college credit certificate and an associate degree track in quantum computing.

While the Quantum Innovation Center is positioned in West Palm Beach, the proposal also notes the training could expand across Palm Beach State’s footprint over time, potentially incorporating additional campuses depending on demand and scheduling. For Boca Raton residents, that matters because Palm Beach State already operates a Boca Raton campus, and the college’s plan anticipates broad countywide access through in-person, hybrid, and online delivery.

Outside Palm Beach County, the state’s second-largest award in this round goes to Melbourne Orlando International Airport. DeSantis’ office said $2.5 million will fund an expansion of the airport’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul apron, described as infrastructure that supports both commercial and military aerospace activity. The state said the project is expected to create 500 new jobs, with average salaries projected between $75,000 and $85,000 a year.

Broward County also landed an award, with Broward College receiving $908,000 to expand its Aviation and Maintenance Accelerated Express Program, known as AvMaX. The program is described as an intensive, hands-on pathway aimed at aviation maintenance technicians, with students earning three technical college credit certifications totaling 60 credits, plus a pathway to finish the remaining credits needed for an Associate of Science degree. The state said the current cohort has a 100% retention rate from fall to spring.

State officials framed the awards as targeted investments for “high demand regional and statewide needs,” highlighting training tied to aviation, cybersecurity, secure communications and data. FloridaCommerce said the Job Growth Grant Fund is designed to promote public infrastructure and workforce training across the state, with proposals reviewed by the agency and selected by the governor to meet local workforce or infrastructure needs.

Since 2019, the state says the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund has awarded more than $305 million, with more than 41,000 new jobs created and more than 32,000 workforce education opportunities supported.