Join #TalentDay: Social media campaign puts spotlight on South Florida talent

A recent article by the Miami Herald on an executive survey conducted by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and CPA firm MBAF  identified “finding qualified professional employees” as their top concern in the coming year. As Miami works to establish itself as a global city, and attract corporations like Amazon, having top talent will be more important than ever.

On the other side, talented candidates and graduates say they’re having trouble finding high paying jobs in their fields and in the South Florida market. Academic institutions, including FIU, know and understand better than anyone that there is amazing talent in the community. As technological convergence impacts the market, high paying jobs exist, but there is sometimes a disconnect.

In response, the Talent Development Network(TDN) – a regional internship program aimed at creating an internship culture and preparing our students for the jobs of tomorrow – is unveiling a new strategy. Miami-Dade County has proclaimed Sept. 7 as Talent Development Network (TDN) Day. To celebrate, TDN is launching #TalentDay Social Media Campaign today.

The objective is to help raise awareness and highlight the high caliber talent in the region and demonstrate that internships are essential to developing talent pipelines that help to build the future workforce. Their ultimate goal is to make Sept. 7 #Talent Day an annual event and give universities and students an opportunity to showcase everything South Florida has to offer.

Alumni, students, faculty, staff and industry leaders can support the cause by sharing their #TalentDay experience. Posts can include anything from inspirational student stories to student research to personal narratives to sharing experiences on how internships have helped students reach their career goals. It is also an opportunity for students to showcase their work, and maybe get noticed by local employers and land an internship.

“We know that our region and our world-class educational system have a lot to offer,” said Saif Y. Ishoof, vice president for Engagement at FIU, who oversees the implementation of TDN on behalf of the seven institutions that make up the Academic Leaders Council of Miami-Dade.

“By highlighting our local talent through this campaign and promoting the diversity of our well-prepared graduates, our universities and education systems are producing. We are helping to close the opportunity and skills gap and contributing to the economic competitiveness of our region’s workforce. Our students deserve this recognition, and the best way to demonstrate this commitment is by scaling the investments from the Miami business community to create a paid internship culture that positions talent as the engine of our growth.”