To employers: ‘Take a chance with us. You have everything to gain with investing in us because we’re the future’ – FIU tech student Yana Judah
We are seeing in real time our tech community coming together to work on a big challenge in our ecosystem. But that doesn’t mean we can rest on our laurels, because there is much more to do.
That was a key message at the June meeting of the Miami Tech Talent Coalition, part of Miami Tech Works, which is a collaborative initiative aimed at growing a sustainable and inclusive tech talent pipeline for our region. Despite Miami experiencing an incredible flooding event, more than 100 community leaders participated in the Tech Talent Coalition meeting last Thursday, which was supposed to be in-person but was moved to the virtual stage, and we’re here to give you the highlights.
Miami Tech Works is funded through the US Economic Development Administration through a $10 million, three-year grant and is a consortium of leaders from Miami Dade College, FIU, Florida Memorial University, OIC of South Florida, Brain Station, 4 Geeks Academy, Ironhack, and additional partners that have been brought on along the way. It’s goal, in part, is to identify the training programs that lead to tech jobs paying $70,000+ for both entry level participants going through academic institutions and training programs, as well as people looking to transition with transferable skills into the tech talent pipeline, said Miami Tech Works Director Terri-Ann Brown.
“Our ultimate goal is to train 1,000 and place 500 In jobs. We are currently tracking the participation of 1,288 participants. So far 39 of them have been placed into full-time jobs and 90 have been placed into internships,” said Brown.
Internships are key for providing work-based learning, but they are not the only way. “We’ve doubled down on micro-internships through our Small Business Capacity Building Work Group led by Reginald Andre. We’ve definitely become bullish on the opportunity for our participants to get work-based learning through 15 hour to 70 hour projects. It helps to build their portfolios but it also becomes a great benefit to the small businesses to help them define a scope of work for a technology project for the first time. We’ve also started to explore the options for apprenticeships,” Brown said.
“Our goal is to make sure that employers have as much information and resources as possible to launch those internship programs and also be intentional about partnering with the academic institutions.”
The role of working groups
The Miami Tech Talent Coalition’s working groups — Small Business Capacity Building, Emerging Tech Talent Pipeline, Inclusive Tech Talent Pipeline, and Tech Skills Gap — are doing the work to connect employers with academia and community organizations by pilot testing new solutions such as micro-internships. It’s all part of building pathways to entry-level jobs in tech.
“The role of those working groups is to make sure that we are building really impactful pilot programs that can be scaled and that continue to support our mission of growing a sustainable and inclusive tech talent pipeline for our region,” said Caryn Lavernia of Lab22c and the Miami Tech Works facilitator. “Please feel free to reach out to meet the Miami Tech Works team so that we can find the best way for you to get engaged.”
Ken Finneran, VP of global HR and community engagement for eMed and co-chair of the Emerging Tech Talent Working Group, has held senior HR roles in major multinational companies for the last 30 years including Kaseya. “It’s fair to say that talent pipelines are something very near and dear to my heart.”
He’s now working on two apprenticeships , including an AI apprenticeship initiative, to create true tech talent pipelines for South Florida industry partners as well as for the emerging tech talent eager to work in our local tech ecosystem.
“These efforts and those of so many friends within the Miami tech ecosystem have been critical to building a growing and sustainable as well as inclusive local tech talent pipeline,” Finneran said. “Our universities have also stepped up to the plate with FIU launching the new Tech Talent Academy, Miami Dade College having multiple AI Centers and the state’s first bachelor’s in Applied AI, and Barry University launching its certificate in digital transformation this summer. As a community we should certainly be proud of these accomplishments, yet we cannot rest on our laurels.”
No resting on laurels for Jorge Valens, Innovation Manager for Miami-Dade County’s IT department. With more than 30,000 employees, Miami-Dade is one of the largest employers in the region. Valens helps develop and implement early talent programs. “Our team is very much focused on the bread and butter of government innovation,” Valens told the Tech Talent Coalition members.
Internships, sprinternships, and student experiences
Miami-Dade County offers internships, typically a six-month program with 10 to 15 students matched with teams aligned with their skill sets, and sprinternships, a three-week sprint around a specific topic. “We work with the Break Through Tech team to identify those teams and then bring them into the organization and work really fast toward one specific goal. We’re currently working with our friends at Miami Dade College,” Valens said.
“The ability for students to learn in your organization is a two way street,” Valens continued. “Interns can leave a legacy. There are a variety of programs and projects that that have lived on. Many of [the students] have come back to finish them or have been hired to carry them forward as part of a team. Our interns need to leave here with a project and experience that will help them along their journey.”
Yana Judah is a Miami Dade College alum and a current FIU Honors College student studying computer science, and she recently completed an internship at American Express through Break Through Tech. “I can’t emphasize this enough, it was an incredible experience … learning theories and applying them is a whole different ballgame, so the experience in itself was like super enlightening. It also builds your competence.”
Giancarlo Companioni is a Miami Dade College student majoring in computer science and a Miami Tech Works student ambassador. He worked in the construction and hospitality industries before returning to school to pursue a tech bachelor’s degree. “I feel like the biggest challenge we face as students is mainly the experience part,” he said. “I think the main thing is really just being involved; I take advantage of all the programs at MDC.”
That included the Miami Tech Talent Summit and Venture Miami Tech Hiring Fair held in April. These events offered access to many employers, and even if you don’t know your niche yet, you have the opportunity to explore different companies, Companioni said. “You just put yourself out there and go meet people.”
Judah’s message to employers: “Take a chance with us. You have everything to gain with investing in us because we’re the future.”
New tech talent report released and what’s ahead
Miami Tech Works unveilied a new report, a Tech Talent Gap Analysis, that explores the demand for tech jobs in our region, the supply of retained graduates to fill those jobs, and the gap that remains to be filled. Miami Tech Works commissioned the Gap Analysis to inform and develop data-driven solutions to increase the local talent pipeline entering our growing tech workforce. Find a full story on that report here.
What’s ahead? “We continue to do what we’re doing with Miami Tech Works,” says Brown. “We are an employer-first approach.. We need the employer first to let us know how we can ideate with these solutions to meet this growing demand, or to solve the problems that employers are facing. “
It’s the innovative leaders that are stepping up and being among the first to engage with our tech talent, but it’s also the prime opportunity to hear first about grant opportunities, she said. For example, the sprinternships are funded through a grant, not by the companies.
“We ask for employers to give those commitments to work with the training providers, but to also be as informed as possible or what about what’s happening locally with the training programs. And then the other piece of it is that the training partners have to be responsive to the employer needs, such as building short term classes,” said Brown, adding that it also takes government support to reduce barriers that prevent businesses from taking advantage of the funding or that make helpful programs difficult to access, she said.
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For employers: How to get involved in the Miami Tech Talent Coalition
Your involvement can make a significant difference in shaping the future of Miami’s tech industry, creating a vibrant and sustainable tech talent ecosystem. Together, participants can continue to build Miami as an innovative hub and a desirable destination for businesses and tech talent.
- Join the Coalition here. Employers can also specify a work group they are interested in.
- Stay connected with the coalition’s progress and updates by signing up for their newsletter here, reviewing the website here, and following Miami Tech Works on LinkedIn and Instagram.
- Attend a meeting: The next meeting is August 21, 2024. Register here.
Refresh Miami is a proud partner of Miami Tech Works.
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