Building an AI-Ready Workforce in Miami Through Industry Collaboration

Miami, Florida, is rapidly emerging as a technology hub and a national leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) talent development. The region now ranks among the top U.S. metro areas for venture capital investment and tech job growth. A unified vision and collaborative, cross-sector partnerships are driving innovative workforce programs across South Florida. These efforts show how employers, educators, and public agencies in Miami have aligned under a shared plan to build an AI-ready workforce.

To support this vision, AIR partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment & Training Administration to conduct a case study to review and analyze how Miami built programs connecting learners to AI career pathways. Our case study provides specific insights from across the ecosystem, including how:

• Employers co-designed programs to ensure training matches workplace needs;
• Education partners, including Miami Dade College and K-12 systems, built AI content across multiple levels;
• Programs provide multiple entry points-stackable credentials, registered apprenticeships, and K-12 exposure-so learners at all stages can access AI pathways; and
• Alignment across stakeholders ensures the approach can be scaled to meet regional workforce demand.

Miami's AI workforce success is anchored by a unified vision shared across the city's tech ecosystem-spanning education, industry, government, and philanthropy. Moving forward, lessons learned from Miami's experience will offer valuable lessons for other regions looking to build their own AI-ready talent pipelines.