Pompano Precision Products taps PBSC for workforce needs

Palm Beach State College is a pipeline to talent for Florida’s workforce. The College collaborates with over 500 local employers, industry associations and workforce boards to align programs with labor market needs. One company successfully leveraging this partnership is Pompano Precision Products.

Looking to grow its team, Pompano Precision Products partnered with PBSC’s Machining Technology program to recruit students to join its workforce. The precision parts manufacturing company based in Pompano Beach, Florida serves medical, aerospace, marine, telecom, electronics and industrial companies. Its parts have been used in Airbus jets, SpaceX launches and the James Webb Space Telescope.

“Partnering with Palm Beach State College is fantastic because if I go hire someone off the street it may work out, it may not work out. You never know what’s going to happen,” said Sascha Dastgerdi, owner and president of Pompano Precision Parts. “When you partner with colleges, you have a much higher success rate. It’s fantastic for both sides.”

The company is expanding its partnership with the College by offering students new shadowing opportunities and paid internships. Students can choose full-time summer internships or part-time positions during the school year, with opportunities available in both the machining and secondary department.

Interns begin in the secondary department, where they learn foundational skills such as deburring and cleaning. As they progress, they advance to learning computer numerical control (CNC) machining or operating inspection tools like coordinate measuring machines (CMM). Interns also develop soft skills such as punctuality, professionalism and networking with industry professionals.

Dastgerdi believes this experience is beneficial for students, because it allows them to add work experience to their resumes, giving them a competitive edge over other recent graduates seeking entry-level positions who may lack similar experience. He says he plans to expand internship opportunities for PBSC students in the Engineering Technology program and other areas.

“Working at Pompano is one of the best decisions I've made in my life. It's a very great place to work,” said Marcelino Bajo-Martinez, who began working at the company after graduating from PBSC’s Machining Technology program in 2024. “PBSC helped prepare me for my job because I learned the correct terminology, how to read a print and how to measure things.” 

Another PBSC graduate, Jaqueline Ferrigno, also found her way to Pompano Precision Products. She completed the Machining Technology program in 2017 and, after experiencing a series of layoffs at her previous job, joined the company in January 2024. Like Bajo-Martinez, she’s had a positive experience and enjoys being a machinist because there are many job opportunities.

The demand for skilled machinists is strong. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for machinists is $53,180, with approximately 35,400 job openings projected each year, on average, over the next decade. Students can complete the Machining Technology program in just over a year.

“My greatest take away from the program was the ability to think critically and look at a problem and figure out what the root cause is,” Ferrigno said, “I have a newfound confidence in myself after leaving the program. I went from this woman who said, ‘No I wouldn't be any good at this,’ to now finding something that I’m not only passionate about but really good at too.”