Two factors driving youth unemployment in Detroit are limited access to high-quality summer job experiences and a lack of understanding of pre-testing requirements and core skills for skilled trades jobs.

DTE Energy created opportunities for young people from local high schools to work summer jobs in our office or professional areas or in our skilled trades programs. In addition to hands-on learning experiences, we provide soft/life skills training, mentors, and wrap-around services including transportation to people as needed to enable their success.

To increase our outreach to a more diverse candidate pool, we have partnered with Henry Ford Community College to launch a class that assists with test preparation, including instruction on the core elements of skilled trades jobs. We work with underserved local high school career and technical centers to directly recruit students to participate in these programs and prepare them for job opportunities at DTE Energy and other businesses in the communities we serve.

The experience and other services DTE Energy provides helps these students qualify and succeed in skilled trades and other jobs where diverse talent is currently under-represented. By leveraging our partnerships with other organizations in our communities, we provide opportunities for disadvantaged students to find employment opportunities and fulfilling careers while increasing our pipeline of diverse talent.

Vanessa Waters