9am and the atmosphere in the room was electrifying.
With nearly 100 regional leaders and organizations working to build a sustainable tech talent pipeline in South Florida all gathered in the same room, there was a tangible buzz of determination and excitement in the air.
“Leaders show movement when they make themselves present,” said Saif Ishoof, founder of Lab22c and a coalition facilitator, in his rousing speech.
This call to action of leaders taking charge was the theme of the meeting, as each speaker recognized the importance of bringing in additional employers to keep up with the coalition’s rapid momentum and ensure a wide variety of industries are represented in the coalition and its future solutions.
Employers drive the ongoing discussions of the coalition by sharing what skills are required for their tech-related roles. This in turn will guide the development of new or updated training programs by local training providers to guarantee pathways to tech-related employment for South Florida residents.
While there is an ongoing invitation for additional employers to participate, the coalition has an impressive list of participants already. Technology unicorn Kaseya, global corporations Amazon, Google and Salesforce, a variety of local small businesses such as ARK Solvers and CPD Advisors, government organizations such Miami Dade County and City of Miami, the Melinda Gates funded social impact initiative GET Cities Miami, and all major educational institutions are participating in the Tech Talent Coalition.
During this April 26 meeting, each of the 4 employer-led workgroups gave an overview of their progress to date which involved the growth to 170 members at the time of the meeting.
The 4 workgroups and their focuses are:
- Inclusive Tech Talent Pipeline: building partnerships to connect non-traditional talent pools to enter the tech space
- Emerging Talent: opportunities for entry-level technology jobs, internships, and apprenticeships
- Tech Skills Gap: reskilling and upskilling existing employees
- Small Business Capacity Building: creating tech talent pathways for micro and small businesses
In addition to ensuring their individual perspectives are heard and taken into account, participating employers receive ongoing support and resources from the coalition such as a free job posting account to Refresh Miami’s regional job board.
“Let the coalition come up with resources that can help you with hiring tech talent, or that will tell your brand as a hiring company,” said Terri-Ann Brown, Director of Miami Tech Works, the $10M grant that funds the coalition.
How To Get Involved
- Any employer located in South Florida that is hiring for tech-related positions is encouraged to participate in the Tech Talent Coalition
- Employers can apply to participate for free by filling out this form
- Anyone interested in following the work of the coalition should subscribe to its newsletter here
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In addition to a human-first approach to scaling business operations, Nicole is an expert community builder and author, having sold 2 coworking spaces with online communities and publishing an eBook titled 'How to Plan and Launch an Online Community.'
With over 50 media interviews including Barron's Penta, Cheddar News, and Thrillist, Nicole enjoys discussing her experiences with the goal of being a helpful resource to others in their development journey. Nicole has held various advisory and volunteer positions, and was a Professional Fellow through the U.S. Department of State traveling to Europe to speak about how to build and maintain collaborative communities.