Two academies set to open their doors in Miami-Dade county are focusing on the booming fields of cybersecurity and trade and logistics.
They are two of the most in-demand fields in the county and according to a skills gap report, the demand in these fields will continue to increase.
“The beacon council has identified trade and logistics as a key economic indicator and an industry arena that will see rapid growth in our community,” said Miami Dade Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “If we are to be ready, we ought to train kids right now.”
South Florida is a key hub for import and export activity, making the area a hotbed for logistics and supply chain management careers.
Students at Ronald Reagan/Doral Senior High and Miami Central Senior High will now be able to expand their studies in this field with the new classes being offered.
“The real thing that interests me is when they said that this gives me an opportunity to go on my college resume and looks good on my application,” said Misael Melo, a Miami Central High student.
The market for cyber security experts is also booming and shows no sign of slowing down.
Students at Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High will get an opportunity to take classes to prepare them in this field.
Carvalho is excited for the opportunities kids in the county will have with these new academies up and running.
“Often, the very talented in our community go to school out of state and then they stay there and I think we need to start believing the local economy can very well welcome this great talent back here in Miami,” said Carvalho.
Gary Goldfarb is the chief strategy officer for Interport Group. He says with the expansion of the Port Miami tunnel, some of the largest import/export vessels will be carrying tremendous amounts of merchandise through Miami -Dade County.
“We believe that the merchandise is all going to come here and it’s all going to stay here and it’s going to create an incredible amount of jobs,” said Goldfarb.
The academies were made possible through a $ 230,000 grant by JP Morgan Chase.
Industry insiders said some of these jobs pay in excess of $20 and $30 per hour and will be available over the next five years.