Detroit’s skyline is filling up with cranes and fresh construction, but plenty of longtime Detroiters say the boom stops short of their bank accounts. For many residents, the problem is not just the number of jobs on offer, but how training is structured and how slowly wages are rising for the people who need the work most.
As Crain’s Detroit Business reports, John Gallagher’s Forum column argues that real economic mobility in Detroit depends on pairing skills training with solid supports and on employers paying enough for workers to actually build stable lives. Gallagher points to national models and local pilots as blueprints for making sure the next wave of jobs benefits the neighbors who never left.
Programs That Pair Skills With Supports
One of those national examples is Twin Cities R!SE. Launched in 1993, the group runs an eight-week career orientation that mixes personal empowerment counseling, remedial learning and employer connections. The organization says graduates typically double or even triple their earnings.
The Twin Cities R!SE model leans heavily on coaching and caseworkers who help participants navigate transportation challenges, basic literacy needs and criminal-record issues while they build marketable skills. The idea is that if you ignore those real-life hurdles, the training alone will not stick.
Local Models Aim To Keep Work and Money in Detroit
In Detroit, the Motor City Contractor Fund is trying to put that inclusive approach to work on home turf. The initiative combines contractor-focused lending with 10 months of technical assistance so small, local firms can compete for larger projects and bring more Detroiters onto their payrolls. Motor City Contractor Fund pairs $5,000 grants and business coaching with lender partners and industry connections to help firms improve bonding capacity, accounting systems and bid readiness…