Opportunities for Youth
The Miami-Dade region is the ninth-largest college town in the nation, with over 340,000 students in colleges and universities. Despite this, there is a fear that Miami-Dade’s economy, historically focused on tourism, logistics, and agriculture, will be left behind in a 21st Century economy. The region suffers from a relatively low share of college graduates and the region’s share of the adult population with a bachelor’s degree or higher is just 32%.
All youth should have ample opportunities to grow and succeed within our County. During Civic Week, we heard the perception that there are unequal opportunities for young people based on their geography, race, ethnicity, language, and ability. Experts and advocates shared during Action Plan Workshops that there is a skills gap that needs to be addressed so that companies can hire local, regardless of the industry. We need to continue creating opportunities for youth.
In the countywide survey:
Civic Week participants focused on ways to support high school students by adding vocational education, “real-world” skills, and job readiness courses in high school. These ideas, and more, will help create and expand educational services that prepare our youth to succeed here in Miami-Dade County.