MIAMI, Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Corp., in
collaboration with private- and public-sector partners, announced
the launch of Accelerate Miami-Dade. The program aims to provide a
pathway from skilling to employment for Miami-Dade residents to bridge the digital
skills divide and route people to diverse and equitable hiring and
re-employment opportunities. Job seekers in Miami-Dade can start their journey toward
their career reinvigoration today, with programs, events and
opportunities available now at aka.ms/AccelerateMiamiDade.
"As Miami-Dade builds its economy back in the wake of COVID-19,"
said Deb Cupp, president of
Microsoft U.S., "the Accelerate program expands economic
opportunity and provides the skills needed to support an inclusive,
equitable recovery. We're proud to work with our civic, learning
and corporate partners to bring this program to the county."
"We are committed to making sure that everyone in Miami-Dade can participate and take advantage
of the technology boom of our time by expanding access to learning
opportunities that open the door to new, better-paying jobs," said
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. "I'm thrilled to launch
this partnership with Microsoft to accelerate our residents'
technology skills, especially in the most underserved communities.
Our community needs better access to technology education at all
ages, and this program will help us accomplish that."
As digital capabilities rapidly progress, digital skills across
local communities must keep pace. The Accelerate program brings
together a unique set of public and private partnerships specific
to Miami-Dade to unlock new
economic opportunities and create a local pipeline that empowers
individuals both to learn skills for high-demand jobs and support
connection to hiring opportunities. Accelerate is fundamentally
different from other skilling initiatives as the model is based on
an ecosystem partnership that provides upskilling, re-skilling and
cross-skilling for in-demand jobs and a path to employment that
supports their careers long term. Together, we are establishing a
sustainable system that generates economic and community impact,
targeted to community members susceptible to job displacement and
unemployment:
- Community partners, including Beacon Council, Greater Miami
Chamber, Miami-Dade Chamber of
Commerce and United Way Miami, will help mobilize the community
with the deep understanding of the local needs and connecting those
who can benefit most from increased digital equity and
opportunities to get back to work.
- Learning partners, including General Assembly, Generation
USA, Goodwill, Miami-Dade College, Notre Dame Tech Lab,
Springboard and Year Up, will help deliver the curriculum and drive
delivery and execution of the skilling and credentials programs to
provide tailored digital training that empowers job seekers for the
next step in their career.
- Microsoft is providing resources for mobilization globally,
free courses across Microsoft Learn and LinkedIn aligned to the top
10 most in-demand jobs, and working to help 250,000 companies make
a skills-based hire this year with LinkedIn.
The initiative supports the needs of Miami-Dade locals impacted by the global
pandemic and racial inequities in access to education. Miami-Dade, like other counties, faces an
increased unemployment rate and has a large population tied to
COVID-19-impacted industries such as manufacturing, financial
services, transportation, tourism and professional services in the
region. Expanding access to digital skills is a critical first step
in improving employability to help build local economic recovery,
especially for the people hardest hit by job losses. The Accelerate
Miami-Dade program is designed to benefit those students and
service workers with low digital skills, in addition to those with
moderate or high digital skills (the existing digitally fluent
population) who could benefit from upskilling and cross-skilling.
The result is a broad offering that works to address the needs of
people who require digital skills to stay competitive and empower
them to seize the employment opportunities of the future.
Accelerate Miami-Dade is the
latest U.S. implementation of Microsoft's global skills initiative,
an ambitious plan to help people worldwide acquire new digital
skills, and furthers recent commitments from Microsoft and LinkedIn
to help 250,000 companies make a skills-based hire in 2021. More
information can be found at this U.S. partner blog post.
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) enables digital
transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an
intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every
organization on the planet to achieve more.
Perspectives From Accelerate Miami-Dade Member
Organizations
"Providing equitable access to digital skills training creates
long-term career pathways for our residents, unlocking the type of
economic opportunities that strengthen communities," said
Michael A. Finney, president and CEO
of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council. "Miami's success — today and tomorrow — hinges
on our ability to foster a culture of innovation and empowering our
diverse workforce to evolve, adapt and grow. Microsoft's Accelerate
Miami-Dade initiative serves as a model for the kind of positive,
systemic change that can be driven when the public and private
sectors work together for greater good. As the official economic
development partnership for Miami-Dade
County, we are committed to this effort and appreciate the
investments that Microsoft is making in our community."
"The current boom in our tech ecosystem makes it an exciting
time in Miami. That growth will
mean higher paying jobs, and we have an obligation to make sure
those jobs are available to all," said Alfred Sanchez, president and CEO of the
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
"As the champion for business and economic prosperity in
Greater Miami, the Chamber is
proud to partner with Accelerate South Florida, an initiative of
Microsoft, to help our labor force acquire the new digital skills
in demand and ensure we bridge the digital divide."
"Miami has accelerated its tech
presence, with Microsoft stepping in and providing the needed
resources for the most valuable commodity, our residents," said G.
Eric. Knowles, president and CEO of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce. "This truly
will ensure that Miami will meet
the demand of the future."
"We are excited to join Microsoft, local government and
community leaders to offer the Accelerate program in Miami because it will be very impactful," said
Madeline Pumariega, president of
Miami Dade College. "It will allow
us to provide new pathways for our students and the community, and
aligns perfectly with one of our main goals — to prepare a talented
workforce equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in the
current job market, while fueling the local economy."
"The partnership with the Microsoft Accelerate program is a new
approach to technology in Little Haiti. It is a break from
mediocrity that will help our community thrive with a WAY OUT and
not a HANDOUT," said Father Reginald
Jean-Mary, pastor, administrator of Notre Dame
D'Haiti and CEO of the Pierre
Toussaint Leadership and Learning Center.
"Miami is primed for growth,"
said Sean Segal, CEO at Generation
USA. "Our plan and partnership
with Microsoft to use Miami Dade
College's track record of excellence in instruction, paired with
Generation's expertise in support and placement, put us on track to
train at scale to help people find careers with a sustainable
future in the southwest Florida."
"This program will create a significant impact in our
community," said Margaret Brisbane,
Miami-Dade County's chief
information officer and IT director. "Providing the tools to
upskill and develop digital talent in our underserved communities
will surely be a game changer for job seekers."
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.