Nancy Dahlberg
Training at least 1,000 people from Miami’s underrepresented communities for careers in tech over the next few years is a big goal, but by working together, a coalition focused on this mission has proven that Miami is up to the challenge.
Now in its second year, Miami Tech Works and its innovative Miami Tech Talent Coalition are celebrating a fruitful first year and preparing for the next phase: a strategic effort to expand their impact backed by in-depth data analysis.
For those who haven’t joined yet, Miami Tech Works received a three-year, $10 million grant from the Biden Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge program to strengthen Miami’s tech talent pipeline by creating new pathways for underserved people in the county and connecting them to programs for learning, upskilling, and reskilling. The Miami Tech Talent Coalition is an unprecedented collaboration of employers, academia, and community organizations to do just that.
About 200 community members attended the one-year anniversary event held last week at Miami Dade College’s Chapman Conference Center. Terry Ann Brown, grants director for Miami Tech Works, said that although the grant term ends in 2025, the goal is to create sustainable programs and processes that will fuel the pipeline for years to come.
The Miami Tech Talent Coalition can facilitate those connections to jumpstart the pipeline, but “we need employers, academic institutions and community organizations to sit around the table and have an open and honest conversation about the assets, challenges and opportunities that Miami has. That’s what Miami Tech Works and the Tech Talent Coalition are about,” Brown said.
Terri Ann Brown, grants director at Miami Tech Works
First, let’s review the progress: Over the past year, Miami Tech Talent Coalition’s four working groups (251 members) held 42 meetings and participated in five community-wide gatherings to share insights and challenges. But it was more than just talk: several pilot projects, including four sprint internships, were launched, tested, and scaled up, and students participated in tech-assisted workshops and college-level skills training with BrainStation and 4Geeks Academy. Community organizations like OIC of South Florida and United Way are helping remove barriers to accessing training by providing wraparound services, such as bus fare and gas cards, daycare assistance, and technology and pre-training programs. This work is already creating internships and jobs.
The goal is to eventually train 1,000 people for skilled jobs and place at least 500 of them in good jobs — jobs that pay above local wage levels in local industries, include basic benefits and give employees the skills and experience they need to advance along their career paths. In the first year, 551 students and local residents are being trained through the program. Of those, 137 have completed their training, and so far, Brown said, four have landed full-time jobs and 47 have landed in internships.
Tracking is key. Industry trade group CompTIA reported an increase in job openings in the Miami area last month. “We need to connect local talent to those jobs. Miami Tech Works is gearing up for next year’s activities, including partnering with the Venture Miami hiring fair and talent summit, and creating more engagement opportunities for employers and people seeking opportunities in tech,” Brown said after the event.
So the data analysis being conducted will reveal whether the region is closing the gap and whether both employers and future employees are ready to make it happen, she said. Miami Tech Talent Coalition partners Florida International University, Florida Memorial University, Miami Dade College, OIC of South Florida, BrainStation and 4Geeks Academy are preparing students for the Venture Miami Tech hiring fair on April 4 at MDC’s Wolfson Campus, which typically draws dozens of employers.
Caryn Lavergna, facilitator for the Miami Tech Talent Coalition and vice president of Lab22c, said that while this first year was centered on creative collisions and demonstrating rapid credential programs, the second phase will shift to more focused, strategic work.For example, she said, that could mean strategically bringing to the table employers who are ready to hire, some universities and talent providers, and community organizations that can help remove barriers to employment.
“This city is a miracle in itself, and we have the power to create a sustainable place where people can get great tech jobs,” Lavernia said.
The second year will again be focused on data analytics, for which Miami Tech Works has hired Thomas P. Miller & Associates. TPMA’s work will include in-depth environmental research and skills gap analysis focused on labor market trends, industry needs and developing strategies to close tech talent gaps, ensuring a strong pipeline for the development of Miami’s tech sector. “We will also be conducting an economic impact study, which is a study of the economic impact of local academic programs and tech jobs, including mapping career pathways,” said Sheena Johns, database reporter and analyst at Miami Tech Works.
The new data analysis will include assets and investments in skills-based training, industry certifications and education credentials leading to tech jobs to understand the current state of tech workforce development. “A gap analysis will be critical to understanding and correcting disparities in training and certification for underrepresented groups in the workforce,” Johns said, noting that the goal is to identify skills gaps and include recommendations for upskilling, reskilling and enhanced workforce development.
The anniversary event featured a panel discussion on several important topics that we will be exploring over the coming months as we share more stories about how Miami Tech Talent Coalition is lowering barriers by providing end-to-end services, how micro-internships, internships, and apprenticeships help students gain real-world experience, and share some success stories.
In the meantime, Brown is calling for action.
“We encourage any employer with the potential to hire tech talent to join us. We remove the barrier of, ‘But we don’t have tech talent here, or there’s no talent available.’ We’ve broken that barrier. With a combination of micro-internships, internships and apprenticeships, we’re confident you can find a solution that’s right for you. If you’re interested in mentoring tech students, we’re offering that opportunity too. We’re really excited about what we’ve done and even more excited about what’s to come.”
To keep up with us, follow us on Refresh Miami or our Miami Tech Works LinkedIn and Instagram pages. We’re also developing a new website: miamitechworks.org.
To conclude the one-year anniversary event, the organization recognized workgroup chairs Ken Finneran and Charles Irizarry (Emerging Tech Talent Workgroup), Olga Naumovich (Tech Skills Gap Workgroup), Reginald Andre (Small Business Capacity Development Workgroup), and Toia Santamarina and Selenis Leguisamon (Inclusive Tech Talent Pipeline Workgroup) and presented awards to partners for their outstanding contributions over the past year. The partners were:
Tech Community Engagement: INIT Excellence in Tech Industry Partnerships: UKG Excellence in Tech Industry Partnerships: FIU Innovative Tech Curriculum: Miami Dade College Tech Talent Pipeline: Ken Finneran of eMed Career Connection Champion: Paul Polo of Human Cloud Diversity in Tech: Toia Santamarina of GET Cities
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I’m a writer and editor with extensive media experience and a passion for journalism and serving the community. I spent the majority of my career in the business news division of the Miami Herald, specializing in writing about technology and entrepreneurship. I’ve enjoyed running the Refresh Miami blog and hope to make it the go-to site for South Florida startup and tech news, features and perspective. Got news? Contact: [email protected]Thanks for reading! Latest posts by Nancy Dahlberg (see all) 6 things to know in #MiamiTech: Jake Paul’s startup raises millions, news from UKG, Analytic Partners, Endeavor Miami, FAU and more, job opportunities – July 29, 2024 6 things to know in #MiamiTech: news from SnowPoint Ventures, Bling Capital, FAU’s Research Park, Storybook Apps, Arkhouse, Moonshot Awards and more – July 23, 2024 Clap if you liked this news: Ani.VC launches $35M early-stage venture fund for pet startups – July 19, 2024
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