Employer Engagement

The economic prosperity of the region is driven by the businesses in our communities. Businesses are attracted to regions that provide a skilled labor force. The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Education and Talent Strategy seeks to upskill the region’s workers to attract these businesses in the future.

Businesses indicate the number one issue they face is finding and retaining talent.

• Talent is one of the most critical assets to employers in the pursuit of building and scaling their organizations.
• Skilled employees allow for an organization to boost productivity and provide quality products and services needed to drive profits.

Being strategic about talent development leads to cost savings.

• Nurturing and cultivating students through work-based learning and internships helps to build a future workforce.
• Investing internally in skills development and education for incumbent workers leads to savings on recruitment and training costs.

Through its Detroit Drives Degrees initiative, the Detroit Regional Chamber supports employers in creating and scaling talent development and upskilling initiatives for their workers. One way it does this is through the Workforce Success Toolkit, which provides the framework and resources for developing upskilling programs.

There is a great need for employers to connect with and share their expertise with students. The Detroit Regional Chamber provides numerous opportunities for employers to connect with high-quality organizations or participate in its talent initiatives. Click here to fill out the form or reach out to Christi Taylor, director of Employer Partnerships at ctaylor@detroitchamber.com

The Detroit Regional Chamber and Detroit Drives Degrees brought together education and business leaders at Why Business Should Invest in Talent, an important conversation that showed attendees how they can earn a return on investment through employee education.

The presentation slides can be Why Business Should Invest in Talent and videos that spotlight examples of continuous education of employees in the Detroit region are below.

The Detroit Regional Chamber is proud to expand awareness of education volunteer opportunities in the region through its various partners in the K-12 and higher education spaces. In addition to opportunities to volunteer with the Chamber’s initiatives such as Detroit Promise and Let’s Detroit, members are encouraged to connect with one of the following organizations to support students in academic and personal development programs:

(JASEM) is a franchised office of Junior Achievement USA. Junior Achievement USA is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices.  Programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and give students, kindergarten through 12th grade, knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Learn more about JASEM’s volunteer opportunities.

Contact: Stacey Mehler at smehler@jamichigan.org or 313.962.5684.

Beyond Basics works to eradicate illiteracy, transform the lives of students, and create stronger communities through an intensive, one-on-one, multi-sensory tutoring program that serves students reading at least one grade level behind. It also includes a Scholars Plus component for students who are ready for college and career readiness support. Volunteer support is welcome from adults in the community whose influence and mentorship greatly impact children as they work together as reading buddies, organizing field trips, and publishing books. All interactions support literacy as children increase comprehension, build vocabulary, and practice public speaking. Learn more about Beyond Basic’s volunteer opportunities.

Contact: info@beyondbasics.org

The Loyola Work Experience Program  allows students at Detroit’s Loyola High School to spend one day per week in the offices of program partners where they gain practical, real-world work experience that helps them find success beyond their academic studies. Students gain professional role models, refine a strong work ethic, and better understand the expectations of future employers.; Employers benefit from having young people in the workplace, a solid contribution from value-added student work, and a potential talent pipeline to strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion. Loyola is seeking employer partners to support this program. Learn more about the Loyola Work Experience Program.

Contact: Kenneth Gardner at kgardner@loyolahsdetroit.org.

The Midnight Golf program is dedicated to equipping determined young adults through life skills training, proactive coaching, long-term mentoring and the discipline of golf in order to succeed in college, in their careers and beyond. Chamber members can get involved with the Midnight Golf program by becoming a mentor for the 2021-2022 school year, which is a great opportunity to provide inspiration and encouragement to high schoolers in the region. Additionally, Midnight Golf is seeking Virtual Success Advisors to provide insight into college selection and preparedness and career decisions. Learn more about Midnight Golf’s volunteer opportunities.

Contact: info@midnightgolf.org 

Winning Futures empowers high school students in the region through their Workforce Prep program, which is an immersive four-year experiential curriculum that includes mentoring, life skills development, goal setting, job readiness training, and career exploration. With help from volunteer mentors and partnerships with the business community, students are transformed into self-reliant, employable, and productive adults. Learn more about Winning Futures’ volunteer opportunities.

Contact: info@WinningFutures.org

Leverage Let’s Detroit when recruiting talent.

Recruit young professionals to become ambassadors  for “Text a Detroiter.”

Become a Let’s Detroit Sponsor and leverage the on and offline platform to meet talent recruitment and branding objectives.