There are jobs to be had in the local marketplace, so long as unemployed individuals acquire the right knowledge to success in various fields. The need for machinists and manufacturing employees was high even in the darkest days of the Great Recession. Such was one of the most important takeaways at the latest SM2 Regional Strategy panel, sponsored by SRQ Media Group and held last Thursday at Marina Jack. … Donal O’Shea, the recently installed president of New College of Florida, said this region enjoys immense academic resources within a small area, and that the institutions are ready to prep people for success in local jobs. But he did say that overspecialization doesn’t need to be the goal of higher education. “Most of the jobs our students will fill don’t exist yet,” he said.