Driving Economic Success at the 2024 Economic Summit

The recent 2024 Economic Summit, hosted by the GMCC Financial Services Committee, was a significant event that brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to address the economic challenges facing Miami-Dade County. With a focus on data-driven insights and informed decision-making, the summit provided a platform for substantive discussions and informed decisions.

Distinguished speakers such as The Honorable J. Alex Kelly, Florida's Secretary of Commerce, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, and experts like Mike Skordeles from Truist Advisory Services, Joe Smolarski of Kaseya, Tom Hudson of WLRN, and Prasanna Dhore of Fiserv, shared valuable insights into economic trends and challenges.

A highlight of the summit was the presentation of findings from the GMCC workforce survey, conducted in partnership with Florida International University’s Jorge M. Perez Metropolitan Center. Dr. Maria Ilcheva, Assistant Director of Planning and Operations at The Metropolitan Center, provided critical insights into recruiting and workforce development challenges. The survey revealed that 70% of Miami-Dade County employers identified a lack of qualified available candidates as their main obstacle to filling talent needs, highlighting a disconnect between businesses and educational institutions in addressing workforce needs.

Despite dissatisfaction with the quality of graduates, businesses lack confidence in predicting future workforce requirements. Surprisingly, most employers indicated that their contact with academic institutions is primarily online, visiting websites rather than campuses. This underscores the need for enhanced collaboration between employers and academic institutions, a challenge the GMCC is committed to addressing through initiatives like educational forums and industry roundtables.

The summit's insights emphasize the importance of proactive measures to address workforce challenges and drive economic growth. By leveraging data-driven strategies and fostering collaboration, we can strengthen talent pipelines and position Miami-Dade County for sustained success.

Click Here to read the Workforce Survey results and learn more about the GMCC Financial Services Committee Here.