Jacksonville City Councilman Jimmy Peluso is weighing how the city might get more registered apprentices onto construction projects it funds, as local skilled-trades representatives press for apprenticeship language.
The meeting, part of the ongoing push by Peluso and local trade groups to rethink how Jacksonville handles labor on public construction, was reported by News4JAX as part of its Trade Up series examining skilled-trades careers and workforce needs. At the table was Lance Fout of SMART Local 435, the sheet metal workers union, who wants the city to adopt apprenticeship language similar to what was built into the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium project. Fout has pushed for language that would encourage local contractors — union or non-union — to hire registered apprentices on city-funded work, per the same report.
That stadium precedent isn't new territory for Fout. Back in June 2024, labor leaders including Fout rallied at Jacksonville City Hall during public hearings for the $1.4 billion EverBank Stadium overhaul, demanding that apprenticeship and local hiring language be written directly into the contract, according to Action News Jax. The City Council ultimately approved the Stadium of the Future renovation deal that same month, building in registered apprenticeship goals and local hiring commitments across what SMART Local 435 says is expected to be a 10,000-worker construction effort.
Florida's Apprenticeship Framework
Florida’s apprenticeship act does not require apprentices on public projects and addresses voluntary use.
City Apprenticeship Support
Jacksonville has also discussed ways to support trade apprenticeships.
A District Shaped by Stadium Construction
Peluso represents District 7, which includes EverBank Stadium, next to the historic Eastside neighborhood — ground zero for much of the city’s recent construction activity.
Peluso has also filed to run for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 4 in the 2027 election, putting his workforce-development record squarely in view as that campaign develops.
