Miami Tech Works / FWD2026 Recap

Miami Tech Works celebrated three years of FWD2026 today at the Chapman Center at Miami Dade College. More than 250 employers, workforce partners, training providers, universities, students, HR professionals, government leaders, and community builders came together to mark the program’s growing impact on South Florida’s tech talent pipeline.

In addition to many local employers, attendees represented the Northeastern University, Harvard Kennedy School, The Knight Foundation, US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Jobs for the Future, Miami Downtown Development Authority, The Miami-Dade County Beacon Council, the City of Miami, the City of Coral Gables, the United Way of South Florida, Career Source South Florida, OIC of South Florida, Florida Memorial University, and Florida International University.

Miami Tech Works announced it has placed 637 people in full-time roles and another 383 in paid internships, apprenticeships, and other project-based learning opportunities. 

Other key stats announced included:

• 167 participating employers across South Florida
• 90 vertical working group sessions hosted, and 20 in-person meetings
• 3,947 people registered with Miami Tech Works
• 4,800 individuals have used a free wraparound service (gas cards, transportation passes, books, tuition)
• The program has covered $300,000 in total wraparound services 
• 64 employees of local companies have gone through or are currently participating in AI certification and curriculum-based programs, free of charge 

From a trend standpoint, tech jobs in South Florida and statewide are growing and paying more. New data shared showed a 32% increase in tech job growth since 2020, with the mean wage rising 26% to $104,000. This trend line is expected to continue as more tech companies move to, emerge, and invest in our region and as demand increases for AI skillsets. 

Miami Tech Works also shared that it has hosted three EPIC Challenge project-based learning cohorts, in partnership with US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, with 12 companies and 60 students participating. Three teams, made of local employers and workforce leaders, completed the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation-sponsored Talent Pipeline Management Academy. 

Miami Dade College Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Malou Harrison opened the event, highlighting MDC’s commitment to Miami Tech Works and its ability to adapt curriculum to meet community and employer needs. She spotlighted the college’s AI, Cybersecurity, and Business Intelligence Centers, and noted that MDC’s cross-disciplinary approach to AI, launched in 2019 across engineering, psychology, ethics, and career development, has positioned the college as a national leader in the field.

Miami Tech Works Grant Director Terri Ann Brown talked about the path forward for the program, one focused on creating more programs for employers, expanding into new industries such as construction and aerospace, forging new community partnerships to expand awareness and access, and continuing to expand in Broward and Palm Beach counties. She also shared how AI upskilling for employees at local companies was a huge priority for the year. Brown reiterated that Miami Tech Works will only be successful through engagement and participation from all parties that touch workforce development and through continued collaboration with external partners and organizations, with employers being another big priority in the year ahead.

The event featured panel discussions on employer engagement and the importance of programs such as the US Chamber of Commerce-sponsored EPIC Challenge and Talent Pipeline Management Academy, and Miami Tech Works’ Employer-led AI Training. US Chamber of Commerce Program Manager Michael Louis talked about how employer-sponsored leadership is the key to fostering sustainable success and growth in a community. 

Former counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and COR Ventures founder Ines Hernandez joined Miami Tech Works’ Terri Ann Brown for a fireside chat on federal investment in workforce development and emerging industries. She traced the arc of key initiatives from the American Rescue Plan and Tech Hubs to Build to Scale and Re-Compete and how strong local ecosystems like Miami Tech Works are essential to their success. On global competitiveness, Hernandez used a tsunami metaphor to make her point: the next wave of economic opportunity will be led by those who read the signs early and build ahead of disruption with AI and quantum computing as prime examples.

Dr. Mildred Coyne, founder of Coyne Workforce Solutions and former Executive Vice President at Broward Health, highlighted South Florida’s high-growth sectors where Miami Tech Works can drive meaningful impact, including aerospace, aviation, defense, fiber optics, advanced manufacturing, and cybersecurity. She also introduced the federal Workforce Pell Grant, a landmark expansion of financial aid that extends Pell eligibility to short-term credential programs, opening new doors for students and workers seeking employment or advancement. The program launches this summer.

Additional panels explored the role of marketing and public relations in building Miami Tech Works’ national profile and attracting employers and talent, the impact of AI upskilling for both employees and students, and the opportunity to create new workforce pathways in adjacent industries like healthcare.

Attendees and speakers represented: US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Jobs for the Future, the Miami Downtown Development Authority, City of Miami, Miami Dade County, City of Coral Gables, Harvard Kennedy School, Northeastern University, Miami-Dade College, Broward College, Florida International University, Florida Memorial College, the Beacon Council, the Knight Foundation, OIC of South Florida, the United Way of South Florida, Career Source South Florida, Broward Health, Brightstar AI, Deep Station, and Canela Media. 

Quotes: 

Dr. Malou Harrison, Executive Vice President and Provost, Miami Dade College

“Miami Dade College is ‘democracy’s college,’ serving 125,000 students across 8 campuses. We are proud of our work to connect students with work-based learning opportunities, to give them real-world experience and prepare them to successfully enter the workforce and find sustainable employment. Our students are unique in that they are entrepreneurial in spirit and self-motivated to seek out and participate win these types of experiences.”

Terri Ann Brown, Senior Grant Manager, Miami Tech Works 

“Our persistent mission at Miami Tech Works is to create and keep good jobs in the community. This requires participation from all parties that touch workforce development, from employers and educational institutions to training providers, wrap-around service providers, community and government leaders, and local and national organizations. We need everyone in the kitchen cooking with us. It’s a collaborative process.”

“To be successful in the long term, we need employer accountability. This includes proactive sharing of required and emerging skillsets, creating project-based learning opportunities for students, and providing pathways for full-time employment with follow-through.”

“For training providers and educational institutions, we need their continued commitment to agility and flexibility, to adapt curriculum and build new curriculum, and provide multiple options for students and employees to achieve certificates and degrees.”

“For wraparound service providers, we need continued support and new ideas, such as the addition of childcare for student parents that can’t take off a teacher planning day or school holiday.”

“The future of Miami Tech Works is built on engagement and contributions, streamlined tools and resources, better transparency in all directions on evolving needs and demands, and leveraging data to power decisions.”

Michael Louis, Program Manager, US Chamber of Commerce Foundation

“We believe in the power of business and employer sponsored leadership is the key. Employers need to be engaged, and the work can be hard, but when you have great conveners and workforce and education partners, big things can be achieved. Miami Tech Works is a shining example of all of this coming together to make an impact.”

Ines Hernandez, COR Ventures

“To create sustainable opportunities in communities, there needs to be an intentional sense of urgency to collaborate for the greater good. Employers, educational institutions, economic development authorities, and local governments can’t operate on an island. They need to build partnerships and come together around a collective interest and set of goals. You need to plan for what you can’t yet see and then work fast or risk being left behind.”