Detroit’s Untapped Talent: Partnerships and Pathways to Success

As Detroit has been met with a surge in economic growth, closing the critical skill gaps for Detroiters and attracting jobs to the city that fit entry-level skills sets are key to achieving shared economic prosperity. This report stresses the need for well aligned on-ramps to help workers attain the skills necessary to qualify for the jobs that are available. In Metro Detroit, these on-ramps consist primarily of organizations providing foundational skills, general work-readiness services, and work-readiness training programs. Specifically, this report discusses the benefits of on-ramps, problems with accessing on-ramps, and how occupational training programs prepare people for jobs within the healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and transportation industries.