Rick Beasley, Executive Director, CareerSource Miami

Invest: sat down with Rick Beasley, executive director of CareerSource Miami, to discuss how Miami-Dade is responding to fast-moving labor market demands, rising living costs, and the need for training models that create real wage mobility. “Workforce development is an economic development strategy,” Beasley said, pointing to expanded employer partnerships and apprenticeship pathways that help companies build the talent they need.

How would you characterize the past year for CareerSource Miami, and what shifts have most influenced your internal operations?

Over the past year, CareerSource Miami has experienced one of the most dynamic periods of growth and adaptation in Miami-Dade County. The labor market continues to evolve rapidly, with strong employer demand across construction, logistics, healthcare, technology, and aviation. At the same time, we are seeing an increased need for workforce services among residents navigating the rising cost of living and shifting skill requirements tied to economic mobility.

For us, that has meant expanding training opportunities, strengthening employer partnerships, and accelerating work-based learning. Workforce boards like ours have had to be more agile and more innovative in how we deploy resources, connecting people to opportunities that offer progression while helping employers build reliable pipelines.

Beyond construction, logistics, and healthcare, are there industries emerging as new drivers of talent demand in the region?

Aviation is a major growth driver. Miami-Dade is home to one of the largest airports in the country, and aviation is both an industry anchor and a gateway to tourism and trade. We are seeing partners like AAR and FEAM expanding operations that require skilled technicians and specialized support roles.

These roles can also become strong wage-mobility opportunities when training is aligned with employer needs. That is why we focus on where demand is growing, where skills gaps are forming, and how we can work with education partners to build the right talent pipeline.

How is CareerSource Miami approaching labor challenges differently for small businesses versus large employers?

The approach varies by company and industry, but the goal is consistent: reduce friction for employers while expanding access for job seekers. One initiative that has been a major success is a waiver we secured that enables CareerSource Miami to provide up to 100 percent wage reimbursement for employers hiring individuals who live or work in Opportunity Zones. Out of roughly 530 workforce boards nationwide, we were the only one to secure this kind of approval.

In Miami-Dade County, we have 67 Opportunity Zones, and this tool supports both recruitment and retention. It helps small businesses manage labor costs when bringing on new hires, and it helps larger employers scale more confidently when expanding operations. We can also provide substantial reimbursement outside Opportunity Zones, which strengthens our work with partners like the Beacon Council on business recruitment and retention.

How has rising population growth and cost of living reshaped worker behavior and employer hiring strategies?

Rising costs have made workforce strategy more complex, because it is not only about training or job matching. It is also about stability factors like childcare and benefits. A group of community partners meets regularly to address these pressures from multiple angles, including employer retention concerns and the barriers residents face in reaching economic mobility.

One of the most challenging dynamics is the benefits cliff. A worker may consider taking a job that pays a bit more, but that increase can trigger the loss of public benefits worth far more than the wage gain. We are exploring strategies that create a more workable sliding scale, so people can grow into higher wages without losing critical support immediately. We are also working with partners on childcare-related approaches, because if families cannot solve childcare, it limits labor force participation and reshapes how employers experience turnover and availability.

How have employer expectations of workforce agencies changed since the pandemic?

COVID-19 exposed and intensified talent shortages that already existed. Employers now expect workforce agencies to bring labor market intelligence to the table, help them understand where talent is, and support the building of pipelines rather than relying on a limited supply of experienced hires.

We are pushing the expansion of pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship models because they give employers more control over training. When people hear apprenticeships, they often think of labor unions, but apprenticeships are also a highly effective recruitment and retention strategy for non-union employers. Through partnerships with chambers of commerce and economic development organizations, we are helping employers see that they can grow talent instead of competing endlessly for the same workers.

Can you share an example of how apprenticeship programs are reshaping workforce development locally?

One strong example is Bean Automotive, one of the largest Lexus and Toyota dealership groups in Florida. The company needed automotive technicians, and the industry’s typical approach is to recruit by taking talent from competitors. That drives up labor costs and, ultimately, raises costs for consumers.

Instead, Bean Automotive partnered with Miami Dade College and us to design a one-year apprenticeship program. Apprentices are employees from day one and earn while they learn. We cover about 40 percent of the approved labor cost, and the employer covers the remaining 60 percent. There is also a structured training component on-site, supported by instruction and supervision from experienced technicians.

This program has become a clear pathway. Entry-level wages increased, and once apprentices complete the year and earn the certifications they need, they move into higher wages with a trajectory beyond that. The program has been successful enough that the company is now on its fourth cohort. We have supported similar models with employers like Warren Henry and in healthcare with partners like Jesse Trice, and we are expanding apprenticeship activity connected to aviation-related needs as well.

What role will AI and emerging technologies play in workforce development over the next three to five years?

Success for us is measured by economic mobility for residents and talent availability for employers. AI can support both if we treat it as a practical skills accelerator. We are looking at how to use AI to improve operational efficiency and better connect residents with training and job opportunities.

More importantly, we want to partner with Miami Dade College, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and other training providers to reskill and retool the existing workforce around the real-world use of AI. AI crosses industries, so the training has to be designed in ways employers can apply immediately, whether in healthcare, automotive, logistics, finance, or professional services.

We have been meeting with state partners connected to Florida Commerce and the state workforce board, and we are working toward proposals that support customized training and incumbent worker training. In three to five years, I want Miami-Dade to be more digitally literate and more competitive, so employers can improve productivity and residents can build the digital confidence that supports upward mobility.

How do you define the role of workforce development within the broader economic ecosystem?

Workforce development is an economic development strategy, and it is not simply a social program. The differentiator between markets is not geography. It is the people and the skills those people bring.

That is why we work closely with the Beacon Council and chambers of commerce. Our role is to help employers build the talent they need to grow and to help residents access pathways that lead to economic mobility. When workforce investment is aligned with economic development priorities, it becomes a tool for competitiveness, productivity, and resilience across the community.