“We are really excited about this partnership with our friends and neighbors at Cass Tech, a nationally recognized school of excellence,” said Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings. “The Cass Tech students selected for this program will play an important part in the continued growth of our city as they work and learn alongside Ilitch organization professionals who are committed to Detroit, its neighborhoods and its people.”
“This internship program with the Ilitch family of companies is a unique and valuable opportunity for our students,” said Lisa Phillips, Cass Tech principal. “Showing our young people that good and exciting jobs are within their reach is a great way to help build and promote our community.”
The program consists of 24 internship positions. To qualify, students must be at least 16 years of age and have a GPA of at least 3.0. The 10-week internships will begin on June 22 and continue through August 28. Enrichment opportunities will include meetings with Ilitch company executives, professional workshops, networking opportunities, outings and tours. In addition, the Cass Tech interns will work directly with Ilitch company employees on business projects throughout the summer.
Community Connect
This internship program is one of many initiatives announced as part of Ilitch Holdings’ Community Connect program, an important element of the new Detroit Events Center and the District Detroit development. Through Community Connect, the Ilitch organization will ensure that this transformational initiative directly benefits the Detroit community.
The Ilitch organization is also conducting comprehensive District Detroit workforce development and business participation outreach to ensure that local residents and businesses participate in the construction of the new arena. Community Connect is an integral part of the district’s success and it will continue to evolve as the project evolves.
The new arena is the anchor of the $650 million public-private catalyst development project that includes a $200 million investment to redevelop an underutilized area between downtown and Midtown Detroit into a mixed-use development of residential, retail and office space. The construction of the entire events center, residential and commercial mixed-use district will create approximately 8,300 construction and construction-related jobs.
The building of the new events center alone is anticipated to create approximately 5,500 jobs with more than half of those construction jobs being filled by Detroit residents and over $100 million being paid to Detroit-resident workers.
