Pasco County approved a $2.43 million base contract with Holiday-based AmSkills to train and place local residents over three years. Annual cost-of-living adjustments could raise the total to about $2.52 million.

The Pasco County Commission voted 3-2 on Oct. 20 to approve the agreement with AmSkills, Inc., as first reported by the Hernando Sun. Commissioners Seth Weightman and Ron Oakley voted against it.

Under the deal, AmSkills receives $1,500 for each Pasco resident it trains and $8,500 for each one it places in a full-time job. The annual target: 200 residents trained and 60 placed. Starting Oct. 1, 2027, payment amounts increase with the Consumer Price Index, capped at 3.5% a year. At that maximum, the three-year total would reach about $2.52 million.

The money comes from the Jobs and Economic Opportunities Trust Fund, the economic development portion of the Penny for Pasco sales tax, not property taxes.

The contract includes clawback provisions. If AmSkills has not trained 600 residents by Sept. 30, 2029, it must repay $1,500 for each person short of that mark.

Weightman asked whether county money from the new agreement would repay the loan. Engel said AmSkills would use private contributions for repayment and that the county would monitor its finances, according to the Hernando Sun.

The contract separately directs Pasco to withhold $3,000 from each of the first 60 job-placement payments to cover the $150,000 balance. The Hernando Sun reported commissioners did not address that provision during the discussion. Oakley did not explain his vote.

The agreement runs Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2029. The Hernando Sun's full report details the payment structure and AmSkills' track record.

The next Pasco County Commission meeting is Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. in Dade City. Residents can attend in person or pre-register for virtual comment through the county's website by 4 p.m. the day before.