A grant to train hundreds of new Arthrex employees marks more growth for one of Collier County’s largest employers.
A $1.3 million Quick Response Training grant has been secured by Florida SouthWestern State College to train 363 new Arthrex hires. The company, which is based in Naples, specializes in design, manufacturing and development of orthopedic surgery devices.
The grant lasts for one year and is the fourth QRT grant Arthrex has received. It will be used for supervisory and management training, according to Robert Jones, FSW’s vice president for economic development and external affairs.
Since July 2017, FSW has secured $3.2 million in QRT funds for Arthrex to train more than 1,300 new hires. Jones said that the securing of the recent training funds marks the largest Arthrex grant so far.
QRT grants are targeted on customized training programs that companies need to improve skill sets of new hires. Training programs can be provided by in-house company experts or experts selected by FSW.
Companies must work with FSW to produce an application that convinces CareerSource that they are in good economic standing and well established in the state in order to secure a grant. Once CareerSource reviews and approves an application, training funds are set aside.
Jones said the college decided to get involved in the process because FSW representatives “love seeing our graduates both from technology and business hired locally.”
“We really admire (Arthrex),” Jones said. “It is a first class operation. We are excited when we hear about our graduates being hired there. There are certainly good things to come from this partnership”
Jones said that, on average, the QRT program funds $9 million in training costs per year throughout the state of Florida, and FSW draws about a third of that annually.
Grant will be used to train ‘high-wage’ employees
Peg Elmore, the business services director with CareerSource Southwest Florida, said that companies applying for QRT grants must add 10 or more “high-wage” jobs within the upcoming year.
“The positions that Arthrex applied for through the grant are certainly all high-wage positions,” she said. “The quick response training is an incentive to either relocate your company in Florida or grow your company in Florida.”
She said Arthrex is a “very attractive company for investment by the CareerSource Florida board” due to its track record of research, development and advanced manufacturing.
Kathy Sparrow, the company’s senior vice president of human resources, said in an emailed statement that more than half of the expected 363 new hires are for professional and managerial positions.
The average annual salary for the new hires will be $83,000, according to Sparrow.
“The grants help support Arthrex’s robust organizational development program for new hires, which provides ongoing educational opportunities for employees to learn and grow in their careers,” she said in the statement.
