A new accelerator in Miami-Dade County is offering free digital skills training to locals searching for in-demand jobs in the technology sector.
Global venture firm and startup accelerator Gener8tor kicked off its Skills Accelerator cohort with support from JPMorgan Chase, YWCA South Florida and Microsoft. Founded in 2020, the Gener8tor program has helped prepare more than 1,000 participants for career tracks in areas such as project management and data analytics.
The virtual accelerator also offers job placement assistance and works with a national network of 400 employers to match graduates with open positions, said Cole Shearer, vice president of the Gener8tor Skills accelerator.
Program participants range from career changers to people who have struggled to find employment.
"We know job searching is tough, especially in the past few years," Shearer told Miami Inno. "Participants sometimes join the program defeated. Our job is to build them back up and make sure they get back into the workforce."
The Miami program is half way through its first cohort, which has 35 participants. Gener8tor offers training accelerators in markets across the nation, spanning everywhere from New York City to Anchorage, Alaska, and adapts the courses to address specific challenges in each location.
In the Miami-area, one of those challenges is lack of wraparound services, Shearer said. Not having access to transportation or childcare, for example, is a a major barrier to securing a job. Through the YWCA South Florida, Gener8tor participants can access those support services and others so they can attend courses and complete the training.
"These are people with a lot of responsibilities: They're working hourly, on nights or weekends, and fitting this training in where they can," said Kerry Ann Royes, CEO of YWCA South Florida. "It's important to walk beside them to set them up for success."
The Skills Accelerator prepares people for high-demand jobs in their community or for remote roles at businesses across the country. Gener8tor, which utilizes the LinkedIn Learning platform to provide instruction, reports it has successfully placed 500 graduates into better paying jobs.
It is part of a wider community effort to connect low income and underrepresented people with higher-paying jobs in tech. JPMorgan Chase, which is funding the Gener8tor program, is part of that endeavor. Last year, the multinational financial services company announced it would deploy $10 million toward Tech Equity Miami, a $100 million initiative to close the racial wealth gap in South Florida through tech education. That involves connecting women and people of color with job training and career opportunities.
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