It was widely reported recently that the City of Detroit levied a half-million dollars in fines on contractors who are not hiring the requisite number of Detroit workers on one of the city’s major construction projects. The contractors understand their obligation to hire Detroiters, but they maintain that they simply cannot find enough skilled-trades workers to fill the many open positions.
As the Executive Director of the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund, I know it doesn’t need to be that way. Since 2014, the Workforce Fund, a public-private collaborative of foundations, state and corporate partners, has invested in Detroit workers to increase their numbers in the construction industry and, in the process, improve the Detroit economy.
The Detroit Regional Workforce Fund is the financial arm of a pre-apprenticeship program called Access for All. Access for All has been cited as a national model by the North American Building Trades Union. Right now, Access for All is recruiting Detroiters who are interested in moving into a well-paying career in the skilled trades. We are offering post-secondary pre-apprenticeship training for carpenters, electricians, iron workers, cement masons and other construction trades, all leading to both employment and successful entry into apprenticeship programs.
Access for All has a proven record of success. In the past two years, nearly 100 Detroiters have graduated from its programs and found employment and entered into apprenticeships in the burgeoning construction industry. With an increase in the number of public and private partners and investors, Access for All anticipates graduating many more workers moving forward.
Some potential applicants hesitate because of real or perceived barriers to success, but one of the strengths of Access for All is that we includes a support system that can help mitigate the effect of barriers that may include past incarceration or less than stellar English and mathematics skills.
The Detroit Regional Workforce Fund and Access for All may not be the entire answer to the shortage of skilled trade workers in Detroit, but we are a key part of the answer. We are eager to work with even more funders, contractors, labor/ management, and workers to improve people’s lives while building a stronger Detroit.
Access for All is currently recruiting for its next class to begin on Feb. 6, 2017. Find out more at https://accessforalldetroit.com.
To learn more about the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund, visit https://www.detroitregionalworkforcefund.org.
Detroit Regional Workforce Fund prepares Detroiters for skilled trades
