Page 14 – THE MOTIVATOR – October 2017
Workforce Ready:
Helping youth prepare for South Florida’s growth opportunities
As one of the country’s largest
import/export hubs, Miami-Dade
County has a diverse economy that
creates a wide array of middle-skill
jobs, including a significant number in
the information technology and trade
and logistics sectors, in particular.
However, according to the Miami-
Dade County Skills Gap Report
released by JPMorgan Chase in July
2015, 52% of residents—regardless of
whether they completed high school—
lack the basic skills needed to enter
career pathways in these sectors.
Helping people gain the skills they
need to compete in their local labor
market is a powerful strategy for
expanding access to opportunity and
promoting economic mobility. As
economies have evolved to require a
more skilled workforce, the next
generation of workers needs education
and training beyond high school in
order to find well-paying jobs that
enable them to move up the career
ladder and firmly into the middle class.
“Every time we invest in
broadening opportunities for our
youth, it’s an investment in a better
Miami and skills acquired through
these programs are a great springboard
for well-paying, meaningful paths to
jobs and stability,” said Guillermo
Castillo, a market leader for JPMorgan
Chase in South Florida and head of the
commercial bank, who works regularly
with the County’s top employers.
Empowering Local Students
JPMorgan Chase has been
supporting programs that create more
opportunities for workers to obtain
well-paying, middle-skill jobs–that is,
jobs that require more than a high
school diploma but less than a college
degree–since 2011. Our initial support
began with a seed investment in The
Education Effect, a partnership
between Florida International
University (FIU) and Miami Dade
County Public Schools.
That initial program sought to get
students ready for post-high school
success, graduating with industry
certifications, college credit and/or
skills in high-demand indust