Detroiter Magazine: December 2020

CREATING A ROADMAP: UNPRECEDENTED DETROIT REGIONAL TALENT COMPACT EMPOWERS LEARNERS TO BOOST THE TALENT PIPELINE

THE TALENT EQUATION: A CONVERSATION WITH KELLY CEO PETER QUIGLEY

PRIORITY NO. 1: THE CHAMBER IS LEADING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITYʼS EDUCATION AND TALENT POLICY AGENDA

A PUBLICATION OF THE DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER • DECEMBER 2020 US $4.00

OF THE DETROIT REGION’S 9TH GRADERS:

G R A D U AT E F R O M HIGH SCHOOL ENROLL IN COLLEGE

O F J O B S PAY I N G FA M I LY S U STA I N I N G WA G E S N E E D A N A S S O C I AT E D E G R E E O R H I G H E R

EARN A DEGREE OR CREDENTIAL WITHIN TEN YEARS

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FIXING OUR REGION'S LEAKY TALENT PIPELINE COVER

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EXECUTIVE INCREASING ACCESS SUMMARY

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• V O L U M E 11 4 , I S S U E 4

THE DETROIT REGION'S TALENT PIPELINE Nothing will undercut regional prosperity more than a leaky talent pipeline. Understanding where those leaks occur, and why they do, is a prerequisite to successfully fielding the 21st century talent employers rely on.

THE TALENT EQUATION: A CONVERSATION WITH KELLY CEO PETER QUIGLEY The Kelly CEO is leading the Detroit Regional Chamber’s CEO Talent Council, which provides insight on corporate talent needs and informs the Chamber’s education and talent programming and advocacy.

A PROMISE KEPT: DETROIT'S TUITION-FREE PATH In 2013, the Detroit Regional Chamber began administering the Detroit Promise Scholarship to provide eligible Detroit graduates with access to a tuition-free community college education. The program has expanded to a four-year path.

A GAME-CHANGER: FAFSA IS SUREST PATHWAY TO COLLEGE ACCESS The Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degree program is helping Michigan students unlock federal and state financial aid.

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DETROIT RECONNECT: LENDING AN ACADEMIC HELPING HAND Detroit Reconnect targets “nontraditional” learners to boost postsecondary degree attainment.

ENSURING SUCCESS

FUTURE DRIVEN: THE CHANGING ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES A conversation with Henry Ford College President Russ Kavalhuna.

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DETROIT PROMISE PATH Giving students the tools to navigate campus life and beyond.

GROWING TALENT

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CREATING A ROADMAP Unprecedented Detroit Regional Talent Compact empowers learners to boost the talent pipeline.

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LET'S DETROIT: A STRATEGY FOR RECRUITING TOP TALENT Online platform serves as a destination to connect college graduates and young professionals with people, career opportunities, places to live, and activities in the region.

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MICHAUTO: GOING VIRTUAL Discover Auto is pivoting career exploration amid pandemic.

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CHAMBER ACTIVELY SUPPORTS KEY PROGRAMS TO HELP YOUNG LEADERS EVOLVE Snapshots of Leadership Detroit, Mackinac Future Leaders, Charter School Board Leadership and the Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders.

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POST-RELEASE PATHWAYS Partnerships making job ladders attainable for returning citizens.

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PRIORITY NO. 1 The Chamber is leading the business community's education and talent policy agenda.

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POINT OF VIEW State Senators Wayne Schmidt and Dayna Polehanki address the policy of education.

POLICY AND MEMBERSHIP ADVOCACY

CONTENTS

DECEMBER 2020

Publisher Tammy Carnrike, CCE Managing Editor Megan Spanitz Editor James Martinez Art Director Bethany Saner Photographers Courtesy photos Advertising Director Jim Connarn Advertising Representative Laurie Scotese Research and Analysis Christyn Lucas Austeja Uptaite Back Issues 313.596.0391 Published by Detroit Regional Chamber Services Inc. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission.

Detroiter (ISSN 0011-9709) is published four times a year (April, June, Oct. and Dec.) by the Detroit Regional Chamber, One Woodward Avenue, Suite 1900, Detroit MI 48226, Phone: (313)964-4000.

Periodical postage paid at Detroit MI Subscription price: members, $14: nonmembers, $18.

Individual copies: $4; plus postage.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to: Detroiter, One Woodward Avenue, Suite 1900, Detroit MI 48226.

Copyright 2007, Detroit Regional Chamber Services Inc.

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Executive Summary FROM THE PRESIDENT

WANT TO RECOVER STRONGER? FIX 2020’S OTHER CRISIS

We never change as much as we think we will – and we never change as much as we should.

During my last tour of duty in Washington, I had roles responding to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina and the 2008 financial meltdown. These crises taught me a valuable lesson about the impact of crises on future behaviors: We never change as much as we think we will – and we never change as much as we should. I’m sure this lesson will hold for all that 2020 has delivered. However, as we look back on the impact of COVID and the social awakening driven by the Black Lives Matter movement, this much we know: •

The equity gap – the growing disparities in social and economic outcomes among our citizens – far too often based on race – is morally unacceptable, has caused economic and social damage, and must be addressed.

•

Workers with higher skills not only have options unavailable to lower skilled workers, higher skilled workers are faring much better – in health and financial terms – during the COVID crisis.

•

The pandemic is accelerating the trend toward remote working.

While the current extraordinary level of remote working will not last, workers will expect more flexibility and employers will be more comfortable granting it – vastly opening the geographic scope in which Michigan-based employers can search for new talent.

•

Economic crises drive spikes in technology and automation; this crisis will be no different. Accelerations of technology favor highly skilled workers and leave less skilled workers increasingly behind.

•

The global war for talent continues. Companies across the globe are racing to attract the best talent to accelerate their technological edge. The teams – company or geographic region – with the best talent will win the 21st century.

All of these trends lead to an unescapable conclusion; Michigan must fundamentally improve the education attainment of all its citizens. The adjective “all” is an operative term. We must improve the skill and education level of Michigan citizens regardless of age, race or ethnicity, situation or circumstance.

This effort must be done equitably, recognizing that some members of our society will need greater resources and attention.

As the global automotive industry evolves into the connected mobility industry, as our manufacturing firms move boldly into the world of Manufacturing 4.0, as our need for skilled professional services ever increases, as technology and automation become more dominate in every industry – Michigan must have the skilled talent to meet the demands of business and ensure individuals and families can thrive financially and socially in the 21st century.

Those of us who have been fortunate in life may be tempted to think that our education challenge is limited to disadvantaged urban areas. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, however, Michigan students in our most affluent schools only rank 34th academically compared to their national peers. Certainly, the challenge is more acute in some areas, but of all 9th graders in 2009 in the Region, only 30% had completed a post-secondary credential or degree by 2019 – that’s what we call the leaky pipeline and theme of this Detroiter.

Currently, 41% adult Michiganders have bachelor’s or associate degrees or higher, while best in class states have well above 50%.

This gap puts Michigan – and our businesses and individuals – at a disadvantage in the global marketplace. Meanwhile, 43% earn an income below the ALICE rate (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), the level of income required for basic necessities for a family. This is why the Chamber has the goal of Michigan reaching 60% of our adults with a post-secondary credential by 2030 – and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has adopted this goal as well.

Vastly improving education attainment is critical to improving the economic outcomes for Michigan and all those who call her home.

Equally important is how education must be again become the equalizer that provides all persons, regardless of race, zip code or other circumstance, an equitable chance to achieve their version of the American Dream. The Detroit Regional Chamber has been building one of the largest education and talent portfolios in Michigan. Reaching 60% by 2030 will be an all-handson deck enterprise and we are committed to continuing our leadership role in this critical work.

SANDY K. BARUAH PRESIDENT AND CEO, DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER

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Executive Summary

60 % BY 2030: THE GOAL OF THE CHAMBER'S The Detroit Regional Chamber has the most comprehensive education and talent portfolio in the region. Its Education and Talent Strategy focuses on increasing access, ensuring success, and growing talent with unrivaled programming efforts from administering the Detroit Promise Scholarship to Let’s Detroit to Discover Auto. The organization has led the way in establishing the goal of increasing the region’s postsecondary education attainment to 60% by 2030, a benchmark since adopted by Governor Gretchen Whitmer for the entire state.

GOAL:

Under the strategic direction of a newly formed CEO Talent Council, led by Kelly’s Peter Quigley and 22 CEOs from a range of industries, the Chamber is empowering employers to engage in shaping the Detroit Region’s talent pipeline to meet 21st century needs and set the foundation for increased prosperity.

This infographic shows the breadth and impact of the Chamber programs and initiatives in education and talent.

Increase postsecondary education attainment to 60% and cut the racial equity gap by half by 2030.

INCREASING ACCESS DETROIT

PROMISE

Universal tuition-free college access for Detroit high school graduates.

Informs, assists, and rewards high school seniors for completeing the FAFSA.

Assistance to adults 25 years and older to pursue an education.

ENSURING SUCCESS TA L E N T C O M PAC T

A nationally recogized campus coaching model to ensure students adjust, navigate, and remain enrolled in community college.

A set of shared values among stakeholders including business, higher education, and philanthropy focused on improving retention, graduation rates, and upskilling the workforce.

GROWING TALENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Integrates technology and community to retain and attract young professionals to the region.

Grow talent for the long-term needs of the autotomotive and mobility industry.

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

A collective impact effort among business, education, civic, and government stakeholders to achieve 60% by 2030 and cut the racial equity gap in half.

Alignment among all entities is imperative to reaching both goals.

Executive Summary

POLICY AND ADVOCACY Legislative advocacy for Detroit Public Schools reform and funding.

Statewide partnership with Gov. Whitmer to shape and approve "Michigan Reconnect" and "MI Opportunity Scholarship" policies.

Participation on the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren Coalition.

Enhancing Michigan Promise Zone statutes for more flexibility for students.

Statewide legislative support for quality charter schools.

Support for skilled trades initiatives, including "Going PRO."

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Executive Summary

DETROIT

PROMISE

Over 1,000 2021 seniors registered and over 4,200 college students since 2013.4

Nothing will undercut regional prosperity more than a leaky talent pipeline.

Understanding where those leaks occur, and why they do, is a prerequisite to successfully fielding the 21st century talent employers rely on. The Detroit Regional Chamber and like-minded organizations are working to help raise awareness about the issues with this region’s talent pipeline.

First, it is critical to understand that though disparities in postsecondary education outcomes exist between the city of Detroit and the region, the Detroit Region as a whole lags behind the nation in key education measures. The leaks in the regional talent pipeline – where students are dropping off before earning a degree – are not limited to just one stage, but are prevalent throughout the entire pipeline.

With only 47% of regional students who enroll in college persisting to graduate after six years, there is a need to enroll students in postsecondary education but also support them to ensure they earn a degree or credential.

There are 676,545 regional adults who have postsecondary experience but “stopped out” before earning a credential.

Reengaging these adults provides a significant opportunity for increasing education attainment.

100 NINTH GRADERS IN 2009 6

The median earnings for those with the highest level of education, bachelor's degree or higher, were more than THREE TIMES those with the lowest level, less than a high school diploma.1

Detroit Promise Path students are TWO TIMES as likely to complete 24 or more credits within their first year.

In 2018, 76% of two-year students and 22% of four-year students did not successfully complete their first year of coursework, a key indicator that students will graduate.3

In 2017, 36% of college graduates left the state within 12 months of graduating. Keeping the educated talent in our state post-graduation will contribute to increasing the population of adults with degrees.

These numbers make a clear case for action.

Change is needed to ensure the region’s ongoing prosperity, and the urgency of doing so as only increased in the recession created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOURCES: 1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Community Survey 2. Detroit Regional Chamber 3. Michigan Education Data Center 4. Detroit Regional Chamber Analysis 5. GoMASA.org 6. Michigan Education Data Center, Michigan's Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI

21% of adult stop-out students in the region are Black.

45% of stop-out students with debt are Black. The Chamber worked in partnership with Henry Ford College, Oakland University, and Wayne State University to expand college debt forgiveness as a means to remove barriers to finishing a degree for this population.4

676,545

adults in the Detroit Region have some experience but have not earned their postsecondary degree or certification.1

Q: What is the key

Completing a FAFSA is the surest pathway to college access, with 90% of seniors who complete the FAFSA immediately enrolling into postsecondary programs, versus 50% who don't complete the FAFSA.5

to ensuring Michigan has a robust talent pipeline?

A:

17,127

students in the tri-county Detroit Region did not complete their FAFSA in the 2019-2020 school year, leaving $224 million in aid funds unclaimed.2

78 OF THE 100

GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL IN 2013

The Detroit Regional Talent Compact, which includes business, K-12, higher education, philanthropy, government and nonprofits, are the key pillars to collaborating, to ensure that the region has and maintains and progresses its worldclass educational systems with a focus on creating economic opportunity for as many people as possible who reside in our community.

57 OF THE 100 ENROLL IN COLLEGE 6

If the Detroit Region reaches 60% postsecondary attainment by 2030, the region will see an estimated ROI of $42 billion.4

PETER QUIGLEY CHAIR, TALENT COUNCIL; PRESIDENT, KELLY

30 OF THE 100 EARNED A DEGREE OR CREDENTIAL BY 2019 6

See story for expansion, page 10

8

Executive Summary

UNITED WE STAND FOR TALENT, FOR EQUITY, FOR DETROIT

BILL MOSES AND PUNITA DANI THURMAN M A N A G I N G D I R E C TO R , E D U C AT I O N , T H E K R E S G E F O U N D AT I O N A N D V I C E P R E S I D E N T, P R O G R A M A N D S T R AT E GY, T H E S K I L L M A N F O U N D AT I O N

Now, perhaps more than ever, is the time to remember that there is a lot more that unites us than divides us. Thriving households, strong businesses, and safe neighborhoods are things we all aspire for.

We share a common vision and a common fate. And even though today’s political climate may suggest otherwise, we even share common agendas.

Through the leadership of the Detroit Regional Chamber, businesses, colleges, K-12 systems, nonprofits, state leaders and foundations are pledging to adopt strategies that will position our region to achieve two goals: 1) reaching 60% degree or credential attainment and 2) reducing the racial equity gap by half. We aim to do both by 2030. With a unified approach, it can be done.

Our region is brimming with talented neighbors who are eager to learn and work. We also have businesses, and entire industry sectors, eager to employ people with specialized education and training.

What we lack is a coordinated, multisector approach to prepare and connect our people to our places of work. The recently announced Detroit Regional Talent Compact marks a turning point in our region’s efforts to answer that need.

The Kresge and Skillman Foundations have long supported efforts to strengthen pathways to college and career, with particular focus on ensuring people

of color and those from less resourced communities can access and succeed in postsecondary pursuits. But while philanthropic dollars are useful for supporting innovation, expanding best practices, and filling gaps, solving the problem takes a widespread commitment. And the commitment must be to the intended results, not just to the inputs.

Success cannot be measured by dollars invested or number of people who enter postsecondary education. Success must be measured by the outputs—the percentage of people who obtain a degree or certification, with attention to building a system that helps all of us to flourish. We must hold the expectation that all of us will be educated and skilled, and that prosperity will not only be destined for the affluent or the lucky few who “beat the odds.”

Consider this: roughly half of Southeast Michigan residents who pursue a college education do not earn a certificate or degree within six years of graduating from high school. This finding alone is troubling.

But a closer read of the data reveals stark racial disparities. Only 26% of enrolled Black students, who are more likely to grow up in under-resourced communities, earn a college degree within six years compared to 60% of white students. This represents one of the largest racial equity gaps in postsecondary attainment nationwide.

Executive Summary

These outcomes are simply unacceptable, particularly in a region that is as rich in racial diversity as ours.

We must understand that these numbers are not a failure of our students. Instead, they reflect a failure in our system and of our expectations of our system.

Currently, 47% of people in Southeast Michigan hold a postsecondary degree or certificate, but in today’s job market, 80% of jobs require some education beyond high school. That’s less than half of our working-age population competing for the vast majority of jobs. And that means we have a twin problem: hundreds of thousands of people without the necessary skills to fill jobs that go unfilled – and hundreds of thousands of people who are unable to access the employment opportunities and experience the prosperity that often comes with greater educational attainment.

We may be preaching to the choir.

Nevertheless, we need greater action to put our region on the right track. The cities that have flourished over the past two decades, Austin, Boston, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Silicon Valley, Seattle and Washington, D.C., all have a couple of things in common, most notably high

educational attainment rates that attract and nurture some of the nation’s most innovative businesses. And like our metro area, they also have significant racial equity gaps in college attainment.

The Detroit Compact seeks to address both challenges. It provides a collective vision to formalize our region’s efforts to lay out a strategic blueprint for each stakeholder to increase postsecondary attainment and to ensure that our entire community benefits.

For example, as an employer Henry Ford Health System will expand apprenticeship programs for City of Detroit residents.

K-12 institutions have committed to provide more equitable access to dual enrollment and early college opportunities.

Higher education institutions have agreed to scale institutional debt forgiveness efforts, which are positioned to have an outsized impact on Black adult returning students. Funders including the Ballmer Group, Detroit Children’s Fund, Jamie & Denise Jacob Family Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, and The Skillman Foundation have pledged $18 million to support the implementation of strategies outlined in the Compact. But we can’t succeed without an even larger coalition of partners from every sector, especially

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innovative businesses, to examine how to help our region build a stronger workforce and become a competitive 21st century global leader.

The urgency has never been greater. The Compact provides a blueprint to help us recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19 and help residents receive the education needed to fuel individual and collective prosperity. But we must act now.

We can no longer lag in taking a concerted approach to our region and state’s most pressing problems. The goal of reaching 60% degree or credential attainment by 2030 has been adopted by states and regions across the country, with Michigan among the last to adopt it. Let’s not be last to achieve it. • If your organization would like to join the Detroit Regional Talent Compact, contact Melanie D’Evelyn of the Detroit Regional Chamber at mdevelyn@detroitchamber.com.

Bill Moses is managing director of the Education Program at The Kresge Foundation. Punita Dani Thurman is the vice president of program and strategy at The Skillman Foundation.

Note: This article originally appeared in Crain's Detroit Business

Success cannot be measured by dollars invested or number of people who enter postsecondary education. Success must be measured by the outputs—the percentage of people who obtain a degree or certification, with attention to building a system that helps all of us to flourish.

10 Executive Summary

A CONVERSATION WITH KELLY CEO PETER QUIGLEY

By James Martinez

Kelly, formerly known as Kelly Services, connects more than 1 million people with work annually while assisting 90 out of the Fortune 100 companies with talent solutions.

At the helm is Peter Quigley, a Detroit Regional Chamber board member who is also leading the Chamber’s recently formed CEO Talent Council.

Along with 22 other CEOs from a wide range of industries, Quigley provides insight on corporate talent needs and informs the Chamber’s education and talent programming and advocacy.

As CEO of Kelly, Quigley oversees the global talent company which had $5.4 billion in revenue in 2019 and directly employs nearly 440,000 around the world. The company has a unique perspective on talent and workforce as it identifies and recruits people connecting them with employers with workforce needs. They sit on both sides of the talent equation with insight critical to acting on outdated policies and regulatory injustices that hold people back and limit social and career mobility.

HOW DO YOU THINK MICHIGAN IS DOING IN THE WAR FOR TALENT?

PQ: Better. I think businesses are becoming more and more aware of the value of

ensuring a strong talent pipeline to their long-term success. I think there’s collaboration with colleges and universities to increase the labor participation of more people who are likely to stay in the region. We're very focused on the brain drain from our worldclass universities. We are paying particular attention to getting people back into the pursuit of an educational degree beyond high school that they may have started and helping them find ways to finish it. It’s about increasing the number of opportunities that underrepresented parts of the population have to gain credentials and learn new skills.

We have the opportunity to create some separation from other geographies that are overrelying on a less comprehensive approach.

KELLY IS PART OF THE DETROIT REGIONAL TALENT COMPACT AND SUPPORTS MANY TALENT INITIATIVES. WHAT DO THOSE EFFORTS LOOK LIKE?

PQ: Kelly has a unique opportunity to support the programs that are important to

retaining talent in the region like Let's Detroit, the Detroit Promise Scholarship, and the Detroit Regional Talent Compact. We're planning for something we're calling a job ladder initiative that connects entry-level employees with opportunities for mobility.

It's based around career readiness and career advancement. Supporting those kinds of programs will add to the talent pipeline here in the region and other like-minded organizations can do the same. Collectively, we can make a significant difference because the participation rate by the underrepresented demographics is not where it needs to be if we're going to achieve the 60 percent by 2030 education attainment goal or reduce the racial equity gap by half.

YOUR MOTHER RAISED FOUR KIDS ON HER OWN, WORKING PARTTIME JOBS UNTIL SHE EVENTUALLY WORKED HER WAY TO LEAD HER OWN MARKETING FIRM. HOW DID THAT IMPACT YOUR APPROACH TO TALENT DEVELOPMENT?

PQ: My mother found herself literally overnight raising four kids by herself, and had never worked outside the home. She was forced to figure it out and she did that through finding part-time jobs in the short term and cobbling together sources of income.

Then, ultimately over many, many years she found herself starting and leading her own marketing firm, commuting an hour each way. As a woman in the seventies and eighties, I assure you she would be on the train with a sea of men.

Executive Summary

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"...it’s really about creating opportunity for more people to find meaningful work, regardless of the situation in which they find themselves."

PETER QUIGLEY

CHAIR, TALENT COUNCIL; PRESIDENT, KELLY

But it’s really about creating opportunity for more people to find meaningful work, regardless of the situation in which they find themselves. And I'm passionate about that. We've recently launched an initiative at Kelly called Equity@Work, and it's really my mother's experience, the fact that she was able to get out of a dire situation, that drives me and encourages the work that I'm doing, the company's doing, and the Detroit Regional Talent Compact is doing around creating more opportunity for more people.

Not everyone enjoys a straight-line career trajectory. I think we have to find ways to reduce the friction, to allow more people to do what my mother did, which was, get out of a bad situation. She ultimately raised four kids and had a successful career.

YOU MENTIONED EQUITY@WORK, WHAT IS THE GOAL?

PQ: Unfortunately, there are still too many barriers that exist, either explicit or implicit, that prevent people from finding meaningful work. And the Equity@Work program is really about shedding a spotlight on these barriers and working with likeminded organizations to take them down. These are things like the bias of requiring a four-year degree for every job when clearly a four-year degree in today's technically advanced environment is not necessary. Or a blanket disqualification of anyone who has been formerly incarcerated, even though they paid their debt to society and may have skills that are in strong demand. And that the list goes on. There are just too many ways in which we frustrate the advancement of more people through work.

And when you talk and think about what we're trying to do in creating a talent pipeline, there is no place better to do this than right in our backyard.

ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD ABOUT TALENT OR THE WORKFORCE?

PQ: The workplace, the workforce, and work time will never be the same as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And as companies, organizations, and educational institutions, we need to collectively explore how we can take advantage of that in pursuit of our goals for making this part of the world a great place to work and a great place to live. • James Martinez is a freelance writer and content creation consultant in Metro Detroit.

12 Executive Summary

CEO TALENT COUNCIL REGIONAL BUSINESS LEADERS WHO INFORM THE CHAMBER’S TALENT AND EDUCATION STRATEGY

CHAIRMAN:

PETER QUIGLEY

DEAN BRODY

MICHAEL BROSSEAU

PRESIDENT AND CEO, KELLY

MANAGING DIRECTOR, HEALTH & LIFE SCIENCES, ACCENTURE

PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICA, RÖCHLING AUTOMOTIVE USA , LLP

CAROLYN CASSIN

LANE COLEMAN

GEORGE CORONA

PRESIDENT AND CEO, MICHIGAN WOMEN FORWARD

PRESIDENT AND CEO, STRIKE GROUP

RETIRED PRESIDENT AND CEO, KELLY

RICHARD DEVORE

RAMI FAKHOURY

DAVID GIRODAT

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, DETROIT AND SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN, PNC

MANAGING DIRECTOR, FAKHOURY GLOBAL IMMIGRATION

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, FIFTH THIRD BANK

PAUL GLANTZ

JAMES JACOB

JEFF KRUPCALE

CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, EMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

CEO, AJAX PAVING INDUSTRIES, INC.

PRESIDENT, SUPERIOR MATERIALS

LORI LANCASTER

HEIDI MAGYAR

STEPHEN POLK

VICE PRESIDENT, DAKKOTA INTEGRATED SYSTEMS

DIRECTOR, CORPORATE GIVING GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY

PRESIDENT AND CEO, HIGHGATE, LLC

KEVIN PROKOP

RICHARD RASSEL

ROBERT RINEY

MANAGING PARTNER, ROCKBRIDGE GROWTH EQUITY

CHAIRMAN, BUTZEL LONG

PRESIDENT, HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM

NICO SCHULTZ

CHARLES SCRASE

ERROL SERVICE

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, REAL ESTATE, SOAVE ENTERPRISES, LLC

SITE DIRECTOR, GOOGLE ANN ARBOR; DIRECTOR, GTECH, GOOGLE

MANAGING DIRECTOR, E.C.S. PARTNERSHIP, MCDONALDS BBD

RAY TELANG

DONNELL WHITE

U.S. AUTOMOTIVE LEADER, DETROIT MANAGING PARTNER, PWC

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER, DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS, CHEMICAL BANK

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP!

INCREASING ACCESS

REALTORS STAND FOR STRONG COMMUNITIES. 速

13 13

Is your agent a REALTOR速?

Look for the R

REALTORS速 are members of the National Association of REALTORS速

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INCREASING ACCESS

DETROIT PROMISE • RACE TO THE FAFSA LINE • DETROIT RECONNECT

DETROIT'S TUITION-FREE PATH

By Brittany Hutson

F EWER TH AN

15%

OF D ETROI T C IT Y R E SI D ENTS PO SSE SS A BAC H ELO R’S DE GREE OR H IG H E R. 1 NATIONAL:

31.5

%

DETROIT REGION:1

32.4%

SOURCES: 1. U.S Census Bureau QuickFacts; U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Community Survey

In 2013, the Detroit Regional Chamber began administering the Detroit Promise Scholarship program to provide eligible Detroit high school graduates with access to a tuition-free community college education. The program was expanded in 2016, granting free tuition to eligible students pursuing a four-year degree.

This year not only marks the seventh anniversary of the scholarship program, but it also commemorates the first cohort of students who graduated from a fouryear institution with the support of the scholarship program.

“Our program has been a game-changer for the city of Detroit,” says Ashley Johnson, director of Detroit Promise for the Detroit Regional Chamber. “It’s really helped to give people a tuition-free pathway to college.”

Since its inception, Detroit Promise has helped over 4,000 students alleviate worry and stress over tuition fees and graduate

with a degree, debt-free. Each year, the the Chamber-administered program helps between 400 and 500 students attend community college and about 200 – 250 students attend four-year universities. It’s helped students like Kalani Olatunji, a graduate of Cass Tech High School who leveraged the Detroit Promise to attend Henry Ford College. She is in the process of transferring to Wayne State University in the fall to major in English with a minor in foreign language.

While the financial assistance is certainly a benefit, Olatunji says that having a Detroit Promise Path Campus Coach has been the key to her success in school. From working with her coach, Mark Yancy Jr., Olatunji said that she’s been “pushed to do things that I never thought I would do.” This includes pursuing her interest in creative writing and starting a creative writing club on campus. Yancy is also helping Olatunji with the transfer process to Wayne State.

Every two-year student is connected with

a coach, but four-year students are not.

Johnson says this is one of several changes that are in the works for the program.

Another upcoming change is a shift in the outreach strategy. Johnson explained that historically, the program was only talking to high school seniors. The intent is to start reaching potential students as early as kindergarten and set up a series of touchpoints with students between kindergarten and eighth grade. The touchpoints will serve as a way to offer students opportunities around college readiness and ensure they are prepared when it’s time to apply to college.

In addition, to make sure that more students are utilizing the Promise scholarship, the previous SAT requirement of 1060 has been changed. Some participating colleges are now allowing for ACT/SAT scores to be optional when applying, while others may still admit eligible students even though they still want to see test scores.

The program’s communication strategy with students is also undergoing changes.

Johnson says that her team is creating a new database so that when students sign up for the program, they will get text messages and newsletters.

“You have to meet kids where they are,” she said. “Some kids want to talk to you in the DM on Instagram or Twitter.”

Overall, Johnson is confident that the work done by the Chamber through the Promise program is ready to be replicated on a larger scale.

“I think Detroit Promise is one of the national leaders when it comes to promise destination and people come to us all the time to learn,” she said.

“We can’t just give our kids community college scholarships,” Johnson added.

“What we found is they need help getting through the system. I think we’ve really positioned ourselves as a learning organization and specifically focus on learning from our constituents, our students, and our families, trying to figure out how to get better constantly and not be stagnant.” • Brittany Hutson is a freelance writer in Metro Detroit.

INCREASING ACCESS

...they (students) need help getting through the system. I think we’ve really positioned ourselves as a learning organization and specifically focus on learning from our constituents, our students, and our families, trying to figure out how to get better constantly and not be stagnant.

ASHLEY JOHNSON

DIRECTOR, DETROIT PROMISE, DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER

15 15

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INCREASING ACCESS

RACE TO THE FAFSA LINE • DETROIT RECONNECT

A GAME-CHANGER: FAFSA IS SUREST PATHWAY TO

By Christi Taylor reduce equity gaps, ensuring more lowincome students and students of color are completing the form.”

Every year, Michigan students leave hundreds of millions of dollars of financial aid on the table. The Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degrees (D3) is committed to changing that.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the only way to unlock federal and state financial aid, many scholarships and sources of communitybased financial aid, and the Pell Grant, which provides need-based money for college that does not have to be paid back.

Completing a FAFSA is the surest pathway to college access, with 90% of seniors who complete the FAFSA immediately enrolling into postsecondary programs, versus 50% who don’t complete the FAFSA. Yet many of Michigan’s students do not complete the FAFSA. In the Detroit Region, 58% of Class of 2020 seniors filed a FAFSA. The 42% of students who didn’t file represent nearly 20,000 students, many of whom would have been eligible for federal and state aid and grants. The National College Attainment Network found that seniors in higher-poverty districts were less likely to complete the FAFSA than those in higher-income districts.

“Across the country, students who would benefit most from the FAFSA are the least likely to complete it,” said Greg Handel, the Chamber’s vice president of education and talent. “Our Detroit Drives Degrees program is working to increase FAFSA completion across the region and SOURCE: 1. Michigan College Access Network

In 2018 through D3, the Chamber launched Race to the FAFSA Line, a regional competition between high schools in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties. Participating schools can win cash prizes and other incentives for a strong FAFSA showing. In addition, schools are provided with resources through webinars and trainings, a newsletter, and learning communities to share ideas and best practices. This year, over 100 schools are participating in the campaign.

D3 also admits a small group of schools into its “Sprint to the Finish” cohort. These schools, who traditionally have lower FAFSA completion rates than peer districts, receive targeted support and access to a FAFSA coach, a college advising expert who works with counselors to identify students who have not yet filed their FAFSA and meet with those students one-on-one to help them complete the form.

Since 2018, Race to the FAFSA Line has grown to include strong partnerships with the Michigan College Access Network, Detroit College Access Network, and the Governor’s Office, resulting in a true statewide collaborative effort to create more opportunities for all of Michigan’s students.

“The FAFSA is a game-changer,” said the Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degrees Director Melanie D’Evelyn. “We will continue to work with school districts and counselors to ensure every student has a chance to apply for the financial aid that they need to attend college.” • Christi Taylor is the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Director of Programs and Employer Partnerships for Detroit Drives Degrees.

LOW-INCOME SENIORS WHO FILE A FAFSA ARE

127

%

MORE LIKELY TO ENROLL IN

POSTSECONDARY

EDUCATION DIRECTLY AFTER HIGH SCHOOL THAN THOSE WHO DO NOT.1

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18

INCREASING ACCESS

DETROIT PROMISE • RACE TO THE FAFSA LINE • DETROIT RECONNECT

FUTURE DRIVEN: THE CHANGING ROLE OF

Henry Ford College President Russ Kavalhuna took a non-traditional career path. The son of an immigrant he made career stops as an airline pilot and federal prosecutor before discovering his passion for education as a law professor teaching night class.

Now at the helm of Henry Ford College, which has the motto “Future Driven,” he is leading the institution through a time of great disruption and change. As the largest recipient of Detroit Promise Scholarship students and a supporter of the Detroit Regional Chamber-led Talent Compact, the College and Kavalhuna are at the center of the conversation on the changing role of community colleges.

IN THE DETROIT REGION...

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES MEDIAN EARNINGS:

31,223

$

VS.

BACHELOR'S DEGREE OR HIGHER MEDIAN EARNINGS:

69,9781

$

HFC IS THE LARGEST RECIPIENT OF DETROIT PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS. WHY HAS THAT PROGRAM BEEN SO SUCCESSFUL THERE? RK: Probably the biggest factor in our success is significant investment in our Student Success Coaches. We currently have three full-time coaches, and are working to add a fourth. With support from the Detroit Regional Chamber and philanthropy, we provide a personal coach for every Detroit Promise student to provide guidance and support. The coach meets with the student to help them transition from high school to college, to overcome obstacles, to develop good study and work habits, and to set a path for success.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO ACHIEVE THE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION ATTAINMENT TO 60% BY 2030?

RK: We are off to a strong start with several programs pushing this effort. The Detroit Promise is an excellent program that gives high school graduates from Detroit a tuition-free path to a college degree. The state is now scaling that concept of tuition-free access to college for essential workers through the Futures for Frontliners program and the MI Reconnect program for Michiganders 25 and older. Michigan has also wisely continued funding the Going PRO program that provides competitive awards to employers to assist in training and retaining current and new employees at local colleges.

I see the next major step as building employer-led agreements where colleges, like Henry Ford College, partner with industry to develop curriculum that directly meets employers’ needs,

SOURCE: 1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2019 American Community Survey

INCREASING ACCESS

19 19

in exchange for a promise to hire graduates. Philanthropy and industry are in early stages of envisioning these employer-led efforts for Southeast Michigan, and we have been honored to be part of the discussion. We need to scale that work across the region and state.

AS WE MOVE BEYOND COVID-19 AND REBUILDING THE WORKFORCE, HOW ARE COMMUNITY COLLEGES GOING TO EVOLVE TO MEET EMPLOYERS’ NEEDS? RK: Community colleges have the agility to work with employers in real-time, updating our curriculum, instruction, and technologies to stay in step with their needs as those needs emerge or change. We can provide customized training for businesses that need to upskill their existing workers.

We offer training programs like the Ford ASSET program that embed students directly within their careers as they transition from on-campus learning to on-site practice. We also recently installed a training facility or “pole yard” on our campus for overhead line workers. We are using it to train new workers, and DTE Energy has used it for their training. There will be hundreds of thousands of jobs in the skilled trades in the years to come. We are evolving to respond to needs as they emerge.

HFC RECENTLY RECEIVED A SKILLED TRADE GRANT FROM THE RALPH C. WILSON, JR. FOUNDATION, WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THAT PROGRAM? RK: It really is visionary because it will show employers that partnering with colleges is the pivotal way to solve the skills gap. We used the grant to start the Middle College Trade School at Henry Ford College. This is a dual-enrollment program that costs families nothing.

It is unique because it is a consortium spanning multiple school districts. Students will earn associate degrees, certifications, and transferable college credit in skilled trades fields. The program is focused on jobs that are opening up in large numbers due to growth in the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, construction, and manufacturing sectors, as well as the retirements of existing workers in these fields.

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INCREASING ACCESS

DETROIT PROMISE • RACE TO THE FAFSA LINE • DE TROIT RECONNEC T

DETROIT RECONNECT: LENDING AN ACADEMIC

By Paul Vachon

Now, more than ever, lifelong learning is essential to the economic lifeblood of Detroit and the nation. But for many adults contemplating a return to the classroom, the need to continue working or tend to other responsibilities can make that goal challenging.

"Detroit Reconnect is a virtual navigation service that’s free for adults that want to return to school. We help individuals with career exploration, selecting the right program, and offer support to those seeking financial aid."

MICHELLE CYRUS DIRECTOR, ADULT COLLEGE COMPLETION FOR DETROIT DRIVES DEGREES, DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER

In May of 2019 the Detroit Regional Chamber introduced Detroit Reconnect to complement Detroit Drives Degrees (begun in 2015). While the original program is aimed at assisting students of traditional ages, the new initiative targets the wider swath of “nontraditional” learners. The U.S Department of Education describes these students as those over the age of 25 “who often have work and family responsibilities.” It can also refer to a veteran, or a married, or a recently divorced person. Both programs are aimed at boosting postsecondary degree attainment.

Detroit Reconnect aims to promote postsecondary educational opportunities and enhance student outcomes. It promotes the Chamber’s goal for 60% of Southeast Michigan residents to earn a post-secondary education credential by 2030. Yet, currently, some 700,000 adults in Southeast Michigan have college experience but failed to complete a degree. Meanwhile, the existing K-12 student population continues to decline.

"Detroit Reconnect is a virtual navigation service that’s free for adults that want to return to school. We help individuals with career exploration, selecting the right program, and offer support to those seeking financial aid,” said Michelle Cyrus, director of adult college completion for the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Drives Degrees.

INCREASING ACCESS

21 21

Realizing that some students may be disadvantaged, the program also offers referrals to community agencies offering food and housing assistance.

Recruiting and acclimating students into the program is a multistep process that connects them with advisors as they make decisions on the next moves in their academic journey, according to Cyrus.

Detroit Reconnect can also help if an aspiring student owes a school a past due balance. If a student attended Henry Ford College, has been out of school for a minimum of two years, and carried a minimum 2.0 GPA, placement in the Debt Forgiveness Program will forgive 50% of the balance, and arrange a payment plan for the balance. Once the first installment is made, the student can reenroll. If the student chooses to attend another institution, Henry Ford will release her transcripts. Wayne County Community College participates in the program, but only if a student remains at WCCC. At the four-year level, Oakland University and Wayne State University have similar initiatives.

Under Wayne State’s Warrior Way Back Program a student may reenroll, and will receive forgiveness of one third of her outstanding debt for each successfully completed semester. This can be used in tandem with financial aid a student may obtain from other sources, explained Dawn Medley, Associate Vice President at Wayne State. • Paul Vachon is a freelance writer in Metro Detroit.

Confronting the plight faced by essential workers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the State of Michigan has responded with its Futures for Frontliners program.

FFF offers community college scholarships to students with no college experience who were employed in an essential industry between April 1 and June 30 of 2020. This includes fields such as energy, public works, law enforcement, and more.

The scholarships, which cover tuition for those enrolled full or part time, allow these students to earn an associate degree or a skills certificate. Applicants must be Michigan residents, and not in default on a federal student loan.

22

ENSURING SUCCESS

DETROIT REGIONAL TALENT COMPAC T • DETROIT PROMISE PATH

UNPRECEDENTED DETROIT REGIONAL TALENT COMPACT EMPOWERS LEARNERS TO BOOST THE TALENT PIPELINE

Ralph Bland, founder and president of New Paradigm for Education, signs the Detroit Regional Talent Compact because "education is the passport of the future," paired with "equity for all."

By Rene Wisely

Leveraging the strength of numbers, a broad coalition of leaders have united to tackle a problem that’s hamstrung the Detroit Region for generations. Too few Detroiters receive education beyond high school. This leaves a void in the talent pipeline, dragging down per capita income, economic development, and entrepreneurship.

This unprecedented group is committed to breaking down barriers to postsecondary schooling with these two goals in mind: increase the number of Detroiters with a postsecondary credential or degree by 60% and reduce the racial equity gap by half by 2030.

To do this, more than 90,000 Black and 15,000 Latinx students need to earn degrees in the next decade.

Under the leadership of the Detroit Regional Chamber, nearly 40 partners in government, business, education and philanthropy signed the Detroit Regional Talent Compact, a 10-year roadmap which is committed to making Southeast Michigan’s workforce better educated, more nimble and more diverse. Fewer than half of Detroit’s residents hold a postsecondary degree or credential, but 88% of jobs that offer a sustaining wage require education beyond high school.

The economic impact of COVID-19 underscores the Talent Compact’s mission to achieve those education attainment goals, to weather future economic storms.

“As a region, if we increase the percentage of our population with some kind of a credential, we increase our per capita income, which is arguably one of the most important indicators of economic prosperity,” said Greg Handel, vice president of education and talent for the Detroit Regional Chamber. “For every one-percentage point increase in the number of people with a bachelor's degree, the per capita income goes up by about $1,250.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer adopted the 60% by 2030 goal as a statewide initiative, too, validating the Talent Compact’s vision.

ENSURING SUCCESS

23 23

“As a region, if we increase the percentage of our population with some kind of a credential, we increase our per capita income, which is arguably one of the most important indicators of economic prosperity.”

GREG HANDEL VICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATION AND TALENT DETROIT REGIONAL CHAMBER

LAYING THE COMPACT’S FOUNDATION The Compact grew out of a foundation created by the Detroit Drives Degrees Leadership Council, which is overseen by Melanie D’Evelyn, director of education and talent initiatives for the Chamber. It is co-chaired by Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz and Richard Rassel, chairman of Butzel Long.

In 2017, a micro group of stakeholders began this conversation and then studied the talent compacts from other cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Cleveland. They identified 17 strategies to achieve its goals. After several surveys, focus groups and a master plan, each signatory of the compact announced their organization’s pledge as to how they will commit to the cause.

Each was required to target one of the four major focus areas: increasing postsecondary access, postsecondary success, adult educational attainment and talent preparation.

C OMPAC T G OAL S : INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DETROIT RESIDENTS WITH A POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIAL OR DEGREE BY 60%

CLOSING THE RACIAL EQUIT Y AT TAINMENT GAP BY HALF

“We really need stakeholders across the community to help stem the tide,” D’Evelyn said.

Wayne State University answered the call by creating a debt forgiveness program to reach those who started college but left for financial or personal reasons. DTE Energy encourages its current workers to return to school, offering tuition assistance. Emagine Entertainment, which typically has a young workforce, ensured employees learn about filling out federal financial aid applications for college programs.

And the partners have a way to fund these programs. “What’s unique is we are meeting regularly with heads of foundations and trying to get them to not only work together, but also think about how they align their giving strategies to the priorities of the compact,” D’Evelyn said.

Because no one institution can solve the problem; they are solving it together. • Rene Wisely is a freelance writer in Metro Detroit.

KimArie Yowell, chief learning officer of Quicken Loans, signs the Detroit Regional Talent Compact because "education unlocks the door to the world."

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ENSURING SUCCESS

DETROIT REGIONAL TALENT COMPAC T • DETROIT PROMISE PATH

BUILDING A BRIDGE TO SCHOOL SUCCESS Building bridges isn’t on Jack Elsey’s resume, but it should be now. The executive director of the Detroit Children’s Fund played a key role in bringing four Detroit charter school management companies together. Normally competitors, the Detroit Charter High School Collaborative united to create a plan as its contribution to the Detroit Regional Talent Compact to have 90% of their students complete at least one year of college, a move that will eventually usher prepared students into the workforce pipeline.

Each charter school has an interest in ensuring that all students have access to post-secondary coursework while they are in high school. This will have a domino effect, Elsey said. “That will dramatically increase the numbers of students that can access to Detroit College Promise,” since many were unable to meeting the minimum GPA requirements.

INNOVATIVE PROGRAM REACHES STOP-OUTS Oakland University (OU) turned to data to inspire a creative solution for its public pledge for the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Talent Compact.

Dawn Aubry, vice president of Enrollment Management for the university, combed its files between 2013 and 2017 to discover how many students started college but never graduated. She calls such students stop-outs rather than dropouts because they stopped attending OU because they may have run out of money, had a demanding job or a life event got in the way. The data showed 5,570 stop-outs who earned OU credits and never attended or graduated from another school.

Aubry created the Golden Grizzlies Graduate Program in response. It offers micro grants to pay for classes and a team of undergraduate experts who advocate for the student. Credit evaluation staff facilitate real-world experience to count as a class substitute, financial aid gurus find more funding and even childcare, if that’s a roadblock to graduation.

OU rolled out the program in the fall of 2019.

“We have had tremendous success with this program after only a year,” Aubry says. They have 237 students using the program and some have already graduated.

“We want to see them graduate and lead productive lives,” Aubry says.

The charter schools participating are: New Paradigm for Education, Equity Education, Promise School and University Prep Schools.

“We deeply believe that the economic future of our city depends on the quality of education that every one of our students is getting,” Elsey said. “But we also believe that every one of our students deserves a high-quality education. And currently, all of the data says we fall far short of living up to their promises as a city.”

The Detroit Children’s Fund, a philanthropic nonprofit that invests in programs and people to improve schools, is economically supporting this venture, which is a key component to the success of the Talent Compact.

“This really starts a new era for the city of Detroit,” Elsey said.

ENSURING SUCCESS

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ENSURING SUCCESS

DETROIT REGIONAL TALENT COMPACT • DE TROIT PROMISE PATH

Talk to Prisila Lopez or Mikayla Sanders about life, juggling a job and college classes, and you see why having a coach in her respective corner has been so important.

Both women are going to college through the Detroit Promise program, which made a college degree accessible.

To make graduation a reality, they also are part of the Detroit Promise Path, a student-support service that includes a coaching component. Both programs are administered by the Detroit Regional Chamber.

"Once students realize that college isn’t something that you can just put on top of everything else they are doing or plan to do, that unlocks the door."

MARK D. YANCY JR. APPLEBAUM FAMILY SUCCESS COACH, HENRY FORD COLLEGE SOURCE: 1. Detroit Regional Chamber Analysis

“It’s provided financial, academic, and emotional stability,” said Sanders, 19, a sophomore at Macomb Community College majoring in Software Engineering.

“One of the greatest parts of the Promise was my counselor. Whether it was dealing with my financial aid or mental health, she was always there.”

Lopez, 22, agrees. The Wayne State University student hopes to become an elementary-school teacher, and her coach has helped with a variety of tips, especially related to time management.

“Whenever I felt discouraged or unmotivated, he would always talk to me, and that encouraged me a lot,” Lopez said.

The Detroit Promise Path is about creating community among Detroit Promise students as well as relationships between campus coaches.

The Chamber’s goal is to support these students throughout their campus journey, bolstering their personal and academic growth as they work their way through vocational training, two-year community college or a four-year college program.

“This is about us reaching students who need the support the most,” said Wytrice Harris, the Chamber's manager of the Detroit Promise Path. “These are often

ENSURING SUCCESS

DETROIT PROMISE PATH STUDENTS ARE TWO TIMES AS LIKELY TO COMPLETE

24 OR MORE CREDITS WITHIN THEIR FIRST YEAR A KEY INDICATOR THAT STUDENTS WILL GRADUATE.1

first-generation college students who show up on campus knowing little to nothing about what college is supposed to be about. … Detroit Promise Path is our commitment to support each student during that transition from high school to college, all the way to graduation.”

The Detroit Promise provides the funding to ensure these students can afford college, Harris said, but the Path coaches ensure they feel supported every step of what may feel like an otherwise challenging journey.

Create the change.

“Working with the program is heartwork. I have enjoyed seeing the students grow and develop in the program. Once students realize that college isn’t something that you can just put on top of everything else they are doing or plan to do, that unlocks the door,” said Mark D. Yancy Jr., the Applebaum Family Success Coach at Henry Ford College.

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Those coach-to-student connections make all the difference – students say they have the tools to navigate campus and more.

“Education is key to changing the outcomes for students and in turn, families in the Detroit community,” Harris said. “In a city where the poverty rate is extremely high, a certificate or degree opens doors that students may not have even realized existed and holds that door open for generations to come.” •

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Veronika Scott (’11, Product Design) Designer and CEO, The Empowerment Plan shows off her EMPWR Coat, a weather-resistant sleeping bag coat for the homeless.

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28

GROWING TALENT

LET' S DETROIT • MICHAUTO • LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

By Brittany Hutson

Let’s Detroit’s mission is two-fold – retain college graduates and attract young professionals to live and work in the Detroit region. When the Detroit Regional Chamber launched the platform in September 2018, the vision for Let’s Detroit was to serve as a destination for connecting college graduates and young professionals to career opportunities, places to live, activities to do, and ways to make a positive impact through volunteering.

36

%

O F C O LL EGE GRADUAT E S L E F T T H E STAT E WIT H IN 12 M O N T HS OF GRADUAT ING 1

SOURCE: 1. Michigan State University, Institute for Public Policy and Social Research, 2017 Michigan Post Higher Education Study

To advance their mission and incite engagement, Let’s Detroit utilizes three mediums – their website, events, and social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. There’s also two newsletters that go out each month. Newsletter sign-ups, social media engagement and website visits have steadily increased this year. In June 2020, Let’s Detroit achieved their target of 40,000 website visitors.

A key part of Let’s Detroit’s strategy is leveraging ambassadors, which are partnerships with college students and young professionals in the region. There are five types of ambassadors, including a

campus ambassador and an employment ambassador. As a campus ambassador, college students help spread the word about Let’s Detroit on campus. The campus ambassador is a new position that started in January with 10 students from five different colleges and universities. An employment ambassador helps connect other young professionals to their industry.

They are encouraged to share updates about their work, industries, and things they’re doing by writing original content on the Let’s Detroit blog.

According to Jorden Bagley, the Chamber’s business development manager for Let’s Detroit, by having ambassadors from within the company, it offers “more authenticity because it’s their people telling their stories,” she explained.

Businesses can leverage Let’s Detroit to not only reach talent in an authentic way, but to also increase visibility for themselves. Through Let’s Detroit, the Chamber works closely with their partner companies to understand how they can get the most value out of the platform. Recent feedback led to the launch of a “Work

GROWING TALENT

29 29

TEXT A DE TROITER

L E TS D E T R O I T. C O M C O N N E C TS TA L E N T TO R E G I O N A L F E AT U R E D E M P LOY E R S Here” page on the website this fall. On the page, interested professionals can search job postings and connect with employers.

“That was 100 percent from conversations with potential investors who are now investing in Let’s Detroit and said, “‘This is great, you’re gathering all of these people, but there’s no place for us to post jobs and close that contact loop,’” explained Bagley.

For example, Bosch is one of the companies listed on the ‘Work Here’ page.

After selecting Bosch, prospects are taken to the company’s profile page, where they can read more about the company. At the bottom of the page, there are options to connect with Let’s Detroit ambassadors from Bosch.

“We’re constantly redirecting people to have them continually interacting with organizations,” Bagley explained. “The goal, ultimately, is for the company to get to interact with our audience at events, which have moved virtual for the time being.”

Marjace Miles is a Let’s Detroit ambassador and a consumer marketing manager with

Ford Motor Company’s Autonomous Vehicles LLC. In March, he helped organize an event with another Let’s Detroit ambassador from Ford in Corktown. “We shared a lot of cool things that Ford is doing in the area to try to recruit people and we also spoke on behalf of Let’s Detroit,” recalled Miles. “We said even if it’s not with Ford, there’s a lot of great opportunities in the area.”

Let’s Detroit was able to quickly pivot when events moved online. They continue to collaborate with ambassadors, such as an August event that focused on young professionals serving on government boards, and a statewide virtual career fair that they cohosted in November to connect job seekers with employers in Detroit and Flint.

“Let’s Detroit has done a good job at helping us to highlight our company and what working in Detroit and Southeast Michigan has to offer,” says Brandon Koseck, senior director of talent acquisition at Ally. • Brittany Hutson is a freelance writer in Metro Detroit.

One of the things that makes Let’s Detroit unique is the Text a Detroiter function. It allows anyone from around the world who is curious about the city to text with locals who know the region best and can help answer questions.

“The two main questions we receive are: ‘what jobs are available?’ and ‘where do you recommend I live?’,” said Katherine Brown, the Chamber’s manager of Let’s Detroit.

“We are receiving a steady stream of texts, even during the pandemic, from people thinking about moving to the region.”

Incoming texts are categorized and routed to an ambassador who can speak to the question. In one such instance over the summer, an inquiry came in from someone in North Carolina asking about the viability of living in the city without a vehicle.

The program routed the text to Let’s Detroit Ambassador Jessica Robinson cofounder of the Michigan Mobility Institute. Robinson, shared her insights as someone who has lived in the city for eight years without a vehicle.

In the coming year, Let’s Detroit plans to increase its marketing across the country with an emphasis on targeting people with ties to Michigan who may consider moving back, in addition to emphasizing the cutting edge work that companies in the region are hiring for.

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GROWING TALENT

LET' S DETROIT • MICHAUTO • LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

By James Martinez

The impact of COVID-19 on the automotive talent pipeline will not be known for years, but there is a push to limit the disruption in recruiting the next generation of innovators and professionals.

MICHauto’s Discover Auto series has moved to a virtual format to continue to expose middle and high school students to exciting careers in the automotive industry.

The virtual tours of automotive facilities and mobility centers provide students access to the industry, its technology, and the exciting career choices available.

“Detroit’s ability to maintain its leadership in next-generation mobility will come down to talent,” said Glenn Stevens, executive director of MICHauto and the Detroit Regional Chamber’s vice president of automotive and mobility initiatives.

“We need to continue stimulating interest in the industry as students think about their options after high school. Pivoting to a virtual platform allows OEMs and suppliers to still show off the technology going into today’s vehicles.”

In its virtual format, a tour lasts approximately one hour and includes a brief pre-recorded classroom style introduction with presentations from professionals across the companies, followed by a live Q & A. “We need the kids interested in STEM to understand that anything they can dream up technologically speaking, probably has an application in next-generation mobility,” said Jenny Orletski-Dehne, coordinator of MICHauto. “But beyond STEM, there are so many opportunities

to do work that matters. This industry is packed with good career pathways in legal, marketing, supply chain, international relations, and policy.”

In conducting the Chamber program, MICHauto partners with Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit that provides transformative learning experiences for Pre-K-12 students across the country. MICHauto coordinates with host companies on programming and coordinates the logistics of recording the presentations. Project Lead the Way acts as a liaison to the schools.

The Discover Auto tours go hand in hand with efforts to better brand and position the industry as a career path.

“We see it again and again. Students light up when they see the technology, engineering, and R & D that goes into today’s vehicles,” said Stevens. “And when we take them to a facility near their school and they realize the level of innovation occurring in their own backyard, they are blown away.”

Student survey results show a dramatic shift in perceptions following a tour.

After visiting HELLA, one of the world’s leading automotive suppliers for radar, lighting, and electronic systems, one student wrote: “I have ambitions to become an engineer, but the automotive industry never sparked my interest. However, my visit to HELLA made me a lot more openminded about the industry. • James Martinez is a freelance writer and content creation consultant in Metro Detroit.

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GROWING TALENT

LET' S DETROIT • MICHAUTO • LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

CHAMBER ACTIVELY SUPPORTS KEY PROGRAMS TO HELP YOUNG

Leadership matters and the Detroit Regional Chamber is committed to creating opportunities for emerging leaders to collaborate with their peers to tackle the key issues facing our region and create positive change. Each year, the Chamber facilitates participation in the Charter School Board Leadership Program, Leadership Detroit, Mackinac Future Leaders, and Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program.

By supporting these programs, the Chamber empowers the next-generation of leaders and encourages them to make connections across sectors and communities as a means to increase collaboration and create innovative solutions to the challenges we face. These experiences help foster a network of talented individuals committed to moving Southeast Michigan forward today, and in the decades to come.

A community leadership program for executives in Southeast Michigan led by the Chamber with nearly 2,000 alumni.

Launched in 1979, the program aims to create awareness of key issues that affect the Detroit Region and to challenge emerging and existing community leaders to bring about positive change in the community through informed leadership.

Leadership Detroit offers a once-in-alifetime opportunity for professionals to take their leadership agenda to the next level. It offers a unique, behindthe-scenes approach to understanding the inner workings of the region and the people that make it work.

Participants tap into a diverse pool of professionals that are actively engaged from multiple perspectives in improving the quality of life in the region. Over a 10-month period, participants are able to develop multiple and unique relationships among their classmates. Approximately 70 individuals annually participate in the program representing a cross section of the community.

GROWING TALENT

Each year, the Detroit Regional Chamber grants scholarships to entrepreneurs and future leaders who have never attended the Mackinac Policy Conference. The Future Leaders receive reduced rates and have full access to all Conference sessions and activities while attending exclusive networking opportunities and receptions with speakers.

The Chamber selects forward-thinking professionals between the ages of 23 and 35 years old who are making an impact in their organization and community. Mackinac Future Leaders welcome change, view challenges as opportunities, and continue to influence everything they approach with fresh ideas and innovative thinking.

These entrepreneurs, which include the Detroit cohort for the Harvard Business School Young American Leaders Program, are relentless in pursuit of their entrepreneurial aspirations and have high-growth potential. In addition, these individuals provide a product or service that is closing a gap in an underserved market or community or helping to solve a societal problem.

The Charter School Board Leadership Program aims to connect business leaders who have the right mix of skills and a desire to help Detroit’s students succeed academically, with open seats on public charter school boards.

Public School Academies, often referred to as “charter schools,” and independent school boards are often made up of dedicated business, civic, and community leaders. However, many board members have not been trained or are not equipped to provide the necessary support the school requires.

The Charter School Board Leadership Program is designed to create a pipeline for those who are prepared to fill the vacancies that can occur on public charter school boards.

The Chamber partners with Central Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, and Oakland University, the largest public charter school authorizing bodies in the state, on this program.

Started in 2015, the Young American Leaders Program (YALP) brings together 10 leaders from each of 14 cities across the country, immersing them into a Harvard Business School experience including case studies, speaker presentations and whiteboard sessions that challenge participants to work together to target an issue their city faces.

The program, of which Detroit is a founding member, is designed to inspire collaborative innovation in cities across the U.S. and jump-start the conversation about how business, civic, and nonprofit leaders can work together to bring shared prosperity to America’s communities. It is part of the Harvard Business School’s U.S. Competitiveness Project, in which Chamber President and CEO Sandy K. Baruah participates.

Each year, the Detroit Regional Chamber serves as the liaison with the Harvard Business School leading the Detroit YALP cohort and fundraising to cover the stipend for participant costs.

After their experience, the Chamber works to keep the participants engaged to foster cross-sector collaboration opportunities to lead change and growth in the region.

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GROWING TALENT

LET' S DETROIT • MICHAUTO • LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

PARTNERSHIPS MAKING JOB LADDERS ATTAINABLE FOR RETURNING CITIZENS

By Karen Dybis

Statistics tell the first part of the story: 48% of incarcerated people who participate in college-education programs while in prison are less likely to recidivate, or engage in criminal activity again. For Todd Cioffi, director of the Calvin Prison Initiative, personal experience brings those statistics to life.

Cioffi works side by side with Calvin professors and inmates at Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia on this unique initiative, which takes 20 male inmates annually from around Michigan and puts them through a five-year, fully accredited college degree program. In fact, the program now employs one of CPI’s graduates, Cioffi said.

“You not only have a guy who has skills, but you also have a guy who thinks differently.

He believes in his own capabilities,” Cioffi

THE CHAMBER AND RETURNING CITIZENS The Detroit Regional Chamber has a long-running push to knock down barriers to employment, including for returning citizens. Its advocacy team has led the way on key corrections reforms that help reduce recidivism rates. This year, the Chamber successfully advocated for the Clean State expungement legislation, which was signed into law in October. The Chamber continues to suppor t bills moving through the Legislature that make it easier for non-violent of fenders to find employment upon release.

GROWING TALENT said. “I would hire any of these guys in a heartbeat. They will be the best employees anybody has had because they take the work seriously.”

The story continues with post-secondary degree achievement and into a job. Across Michigan, employers from Henry Ford Health System to DTE to Bank of America are partnering with the state’s Department of Corrections and facilities to ensure inmates have opportunities to learn, get advice and find job opportunities as well as a career path for years to come.

Michigan’s efforts to establish educational tracks and sustainable employment for formerly incarcerated people is ongoing and should be lauded, said Margaret diZerega, Director of the Center on Sentencing and Corrections for the Vera Institute of Justice, a New York-based organization that seeks to end mass incarceration and strengthen the prospects of returning citizens.

“It’s about helping prepare people for success post-release,” diZerega said. “An estimated 65% of jobs require some training beyond high school. We need to make sure people leaving (prison) are prepared for those positions.”

That assistance into Michigan’s talent pipeline extends past the prison door. At Henry Ford Health System, supporting formerly incarcerated job candidates means working with them during the hiring process, on-the-job education as

well as developing one-of-a-kind programs that reduce barriers to employment, said Jan Harrington-Davis, Vice President of Talent Acquisition, EEO Diversity and Workforce Solutions.

“This effort is important because a large population of Detroiters do have criminal backgrounds,” Harrington-Davis said.

“We’ve focused intentionally on recruiting from the city of Detroit into our hospital, so we wanted to attract them into our system and determine how to retain them once they’re here.”

It started with 2015’s policy of “banning the box,” or eliminating the requirement that job applicants state whether they have been convicted of a felony. It wasn’t the conviction that barred people from employment, Harrington-Davis said, but the falsification of information. (HFHS does require consent to check after a job offer has been made.)

In October, the health system raised hourly compensation to $15 per hour for all team members, becoming among the first in Michigan to do so. HarringtonDavis also is solving issues such as access to childcare and transportation while offering paid apprenticeship programs with job guarantees when completed.

“We want to create Harrington-Davis said.

a

pathway,”

Karen Dybis is a freelance writer in Metro Detroit.

35 35

“It’s about helping prepare people for success postrelease. An estimated 65% of jobs require some training beyond high school. We need to make sure people leaving (prison) are prepared for those positions.”

MARGARET DIZEREGA DIRECTOR, SENTENCING AND CORRECTIONS, VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE

36

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

THE CHAMBER IS LEADING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY’S EDUCATION AND TALENT POLICY AGENDA Over the past two decades, the Detroit Regional Chamber has rallied support around key policy and legislative efforts to improve education. With one of the most respected advocacy programs in the state, the Chamber continues to advocate for policies to help ensure Michigan has the skilled workforce it needs to compete in the 21st century economy.

Its efforts continue to focus around early childhood education, k-12 curriculum, and workforce development.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

FUNDING 2021 LEGISLATIVE

EDUCATION PRIORITIES

MAINTAIN RIGOROUS K-12 STANDARDS

that allow students to succeed in the global economy.

CREATE GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY FOR QUALITY

and siting in charter schools.

INCREASE POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION ATTAINMENT

through policies such as increased dual enrollment and Michigan Reconnect and MI Opportunity.

K-12 CURRICULUM AND CHARTER ACCOUNTABILITY

Supported then-Governor Rick Snyder’s effort to increase early child education by $100 million annually, which included a $65 million expansion in 2013-14.

LITERACY

SCHOOL CHOICE AND SITING STANDARDS

Advocated for current third-grade reading law to help ensure all students could read before advancing to the fourth grade as reading sets the foundation for the rest of the student’s academic journey.

Supporter of school choice, including public charter schools, that include rigorous standards to ensure accountability and ensure all students have access to a quality education.

EQUITY FUNDING Supports Launch Michigan’s efforts to create an equity fund derived through a formula with poverty and geographic isolation multipliers based on student needs regardless of governance or the school they attend.

ASSESSMENTS Supported the creation of the M-STEP, the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress, which aligned Michigan with most other states in measuring student achievement.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS Rallied support to implement Michigan’s best-in-class graduation requirements and remains a staunch advocate of keeping the Merit Curriculum in place.

POLICY AND ADVOCACY

On the Road to Top Ten, we just updated our GPS.

HIGHER AND ADULT EDUCATION

PROMISE SCHOLARSHIPS Supported then-Governor Rick Snyder’s 2011 call for a tuition-free path to an associate degree for residents of the city of Detroit through the Detroit Promise Scholarship and the expansion of the program to include four-year route to bachelor’s degrees. Currently supports Governor Whitmer’s proposed MI Opportunity Scholarship which would provide a two-year, tuition-free path to an associate’s degree statewide.

POLICY

UPSKILLING AND RETURNING TO SCHOOL Successfully advocated for funding the state’s workforce development program Michigan Reconnect, which along with Going PRO Talent Fund, received nearly $60 million in the state’s 2021 budget.

FUTURES FOR FRONTLINERS Supports Governor Whitmer’s scholarship program providing tuition-free access to an estimated 625,000 Michiganders who provided essential, frontline services during COVID-19 Stay Home, Stay Safe orders from April to June of 2020.

Get the complete directions at MichigansRoadtoTopTen.com Michigan’s made great strides in the past decade. But while we’re better, we’re still not best. We have more to accomplish on our journey to becoming a Top Ten state.

Michigan’s Road to Top Ten starts from our current benchmarks and maps a plan to key goals that

will make us a stronger and more prosperous state.

Read the plan at MichigansRoadtoTopTen.com to see how we’re going to reach these landmarks. We’re excited to get on the road. Join us!

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37 37

Join the Detroit Regional Chamber for its second annual State of Education event. This digital discussion will feature business leaders and education stakeholders reacting to the Chamber’s detailed report on key data indicators that illustrate how the region’s education institutions are preparing students for college and the jobs of the future. Plus, hear from experts on how education in Southeast Michigan stacks up to peer regions.

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ON THE

ROSTER

JOIN US IN WELCOMING THESE NEW MEMBERS TO THE CHAMBER. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTACT THEM FOR FUTURE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES.

ELITE MEMBERSHIP

BCP Detroit Cont.

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Amazon’s presence in metro Detroit encompasses a variety of investments, including a tech hub, four Amazon fulfillment centers, five Amazon delivery stations, as well as Whole Foods Market and Amazon Hub Locker+ locations.

Amazon’s growth in southeast Michigan is the result of an outstanding workforce, strong local support, and a robust public infrastructure. The company is proud to be adding new jobs to the more than 13,500 Amazonians already working in the state.

Through 2019, Amazon invested more than $2.5 billion in Michigan, including infrastructure and compensation to its employees. On top of highly competitive wages and benefits on day one, a job at Amazon can be a springboard to an Amazon career or other opportunities. This year, Amazon promoted more than 35,000 employees in its operations network and continues to invest in the long-term career success of employees inside and outside of the company.

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Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more at newsroom.cisco.com and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco. Duo Security, acquired by Cisco in 2018, is the leading multi-factor authentication (MFA) and secure access provider. Duo is a trusted partner to more than 25,000 customers globally, including Dresser-Rand, Etsy, Facebook, Paramount Pictures, Random House, Zillow and more. Founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Duo has offices in growing hubs in Austin, Texas; San Francisco, California; and London. Visit Duo.com to find out more.

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We capture messages and moments from company events that beautifully highlight the memories that matter. We help businesses visually enhance internal marketing with enterprise projects, employee spotlights, training videos, professional headshots and more. Our experience with promotional visual content for product and servicebased companies have increased brand recognition and revenue for the businesses we have partnered with. We are excited to talk to you about your company’s next special project here in the Detroit area and beyond. BCP Detroit serves clients across Detroit, Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Royal Oak, Toledo, Chicago, Cleveland, and the surrounding areas. Our Services include: Corporate Video Production | Promotional Video Production | Aerial Video Production.

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Membership 41 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP Adara Design Studio

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LEADING COVID-19 RESEARCH

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DEVELOPING TALENT

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DRIVING INNOVATION & ECONOMIC GROWTH

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42 Membership

Detroiters Think Big: A Small Business Podcast, presented by the Detroit Regional Chamber and Rocket Mortgage, showcases the robust community of small businesses who have reopened and reinvented to keep their customers and employees safe amid COVID-19.

In this series, local business owners will share their stories on how they have survived, and even thrived, through an unprecedented global pandemic with the support of their community. Join Devon O’Reilly, director of entrepreneurship for the Detroit Regional Chamber, as he learns more about the innovative approaches businesses have taken to address the challenges and fears in operating in a postpandemic climate.

To listen to complete episodes, go to:

DETROITCHAMBER.COM/THINK-BIG-SMALL-BIZ You can also suggest Detroit small businesses who are thinking BIG as guests for future podcasts.

Membership 43

HUSTLE HARD: INNOVATING IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY Michael Forsyth of Detroit City Distillery discusses making the shift to producing hand sanitizer throughout the pandemic, how he adapted the business to accomodate guests safely over the summer, and previews new products available for curbside pickup.

DETROIT GRIT: PERSEVERING DESPITE THE ODDS Regina Gaines of House of Pure Vin shares how her shop has safely stayed open for foot traffic amid COVID-19, making the necessary shift to fulfilling online orders ahead of the holiday season, and adapting its business model for 2021.

BUILD HOPE: EMPOWERING YOUR COMMUNITY Veronika Scott of The Empowerment Plan shares how the organization aims to end the generational cycle of homelessness through employing displaced individuals across the city of Detroit and how their innovative product, a coat that transforms into a sleeping bag, continues to evolve.

RIDE ON: CREATING YOUR OWN PATH Jason Hall of RiDetroit dives into a new venture, opening the first electriconly bike store in Detroit, and shares how his business dealt with the high demand of bicycles and bike repairs during the pandemic.

STAY SHARP: MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS AMID COVID-19 Robert Courtney Collins of Robert Courtney LLC speaks to how his small business clients are safely opening their doors or accepting orders, the necessary shift to marketing in an online environment, and how he got started as an entrepreneur.

44 Membership

POINT OF VIEW WAY N E S C H M I D T SENATOR ( R - T R AV E R S E C I T Y ) HOW IS THE LEGISLATURE WORKING TO IMPROVE MICHIGAN’S EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT?

THE POLICY OF EDUCATION

As chair of the K-12 and Michigan Department of Education budgets, I am always fighting to ensure education is accessible for all Michigan residents. We’ve strived to pass budgets that focus on students and their learning needs and pass legislation that empowers students to achieve great things. I’ve fought for increased funding for school-based mental health clinics, early-learning programs, early literacy, and progress is being made with at-risk programs. I’ve also been a tireless advocate for 10 Cents A Meal, which is a program that helps our schools purchase and serve Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables. The program has been successful in helping ensure students can focus on their education while also receiving a healthy and balanced diet.

DOES THE SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA NEED TO CHANGE TO PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES TO SCHOOLS IN LOW-INCOME AREAS?

DAY N A P O L E H A N K I SENATOR (D - LIVONIA) HOW IS THE LEGISLATURE WORKING TO IMPROVE MICHIGAN’S EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT?

There have been a great number of education bills introduced into the Legislature this session. However, very little has actually passed both chambers. I would like to see the Legislature act on my bill repealing mandatory retention of thirdgraders, which is set to take effect this year for the first time. Additionally, I would like to see the Senate act on bills to remove the student growth portions of teacher evaluations. Finally, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for Michigan to heavily invest in early literacy is paramount.

It is anticipated that there will be significant learning losses, and it is imperative for us to invest in getting students up to speed.

DOES THE SCHOOL FUNDING FORMULA NEED TO CHANGE TO PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES TO SCHOOLS IN LOW-INCOME AREAS?

Providing the proper school funding for all schools in this state continues to be a priority of mine as chairman. I am a firm believer in, and have been an avid supporter in, the 2x formula. It shouldn’t matter if you go to school in the Upper Peninsula or Detroit, all students deserve a great education. We need to continue with the base level, and per-pupil funding levels should be made equal as soon as is feasible. We also need to continue to provide additional funding and resources to adequately serve students with individual needs and circumstances – such as students with disabilities, at-risk students and students with limited English proficiency.

Our current school funding model is broken. I introduced a joint resolution to fund community colleges and universities from the General Fund instead of the School Aide Fund. Additionally, I support the School Finance Research Collaborative. This non-partisan organization reported that we are under-funding each student by at least $1,000. They also noted that the cost to educate students varies, dependent on their needs. Students who are in special education programs, English language programs, or career technical education, all cost more to educate. Their plan is to move our state toward equitable funding, which will allow schools to better meet the needs of each student. This model will require more revenue than we are currently putting toward pre-K-12 education.

WHAT EDUCATION REFORMS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE?

WHAT EDUCATION REFORMS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE?

The Michigan Legislature has passed several impactful reforms that encourage students to pursue a career in the trades and we’ve had great success with these programs. I’d like to see a similar reform in place to encourage our students to pursue a career in teaching. We have consistently been focusing on what is working and what is not for the education community and Michigan students — and I would like to see the Legislature and Governor come together to continue this effort.

Reducing the amount of standardized testing that students endure each year. One example is the ACT WorkKeys test. It is designed to pair students with potential employers. However, the test is rarely used, time consuming, and expensive. Additionally, we have a teacher shortage that may turn into a crisis. To make progress on this we need to better compensate teachers, revise punitive evaluation systems, and respect the tremendous work they do daily. •

Wayne Schmidt is a Republican representing Michigan’s 37th District.

Dayna Polehanki is a Democrat representing Michigan’s 7th District.

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