UpSkill Miami initiative expands to train 750
By Miami Times Staff Report
United Way Miami (UWM) held a news conference Tuesday at the Opa-locka Executive Airport to announce its new support of the aviation industry through the expansion of workforce fund UpSkill Miami, in partnership with the Barrington Irving Technical Training School (BITTS).
BITTS was established in 2023 by Cpt. Barrington Irving, the youngest person and first Black pilot to fly solo around the world. UpSkill Miami’s partnership with BITTS represents a commitment to assist Miami-Dade County residents with accessible, high-quality job training in the aviation industry, spanning roles such as aircraft technician and line service technician.
The program offers participants a comprehensive 12-16 week program, totaling 160 total training hours and a blend of on-the-job training, direct instructional time, independent learning, and virtual and in-person training sessions.
You must live or work in Miami-Dade County to be eligible for the program, earn below $35,000, or are currently unemployed. UpSkill Miami’s target population is people of color, female heads of household, veterans and youth ages 18-24 or those aging out of foster care.
A $100,000 grant from United Way Miami will initially be used to train up to 15-20 students at the Barrington Irving Technical Training School.
(Gregory Reed)
UWM has made an initial investment of $100,000 to train up to 15-20 students during the first cohort at BITTS. Additional funding will be subsequently considered based on the program’s success.
“Thanks to seed funding from a historic investment from the MacKenzie Scott foundation, United Way Miami has allocated over $3 million to its UpSkill Miami training partners in high demand industries such as transportation, construction, energy, and now, aviation,” said UWM in a statement.
The organization went on to state that the initiative is designed to benefit more than 750 Miami-Dade County residents.
