Program Officer, Detroit Regional Workforce Fund

Kylee Mitchell
Program Officer, Detroit Regional Workforce Fund

Our region is struggling with a myriad of issues -- employment is just one of them. As a native Detroiter, I wanted to be a part of the solution to this problem. But I didn’t start out in this direction.

I actually began my career in corporate finance balancing budgets for Fortune 500 firms.  But my heart wasn’t in it. I wanted to do something that impacted others and made a real difference in the community. In 2009, I was pursuing a graduate degree in New York City as a National Urban Fellow (www.nuf.org). My graduate experience coupled with an opportunity to lead and implement a financial services program in Washington, D.C. for the district’s mayor, solidified my passion. Basically, I connected residents with mainstream financial service products and helped combat the usage of payday lending and other predatory financial options that impair individuals’ personal financial positions.

 Eventually, my journey to two world-class cities, New York and Washington, D.C. fostered my desire to return home and become an integral part to Detroit’s revitalization. At the time, colleagues, friends and even some family members thought that it unwise to leave a job for Detroit. Given the economic landscape of the time, I understood their concerns. Despite the naysayers, I was determined to come home – jobless.

I dealt with all of the emotional stress that comes with the job-seeking process. And I didn’t just want to find a job; I wanted a profession that I was passionate about. Shortly after my move, I came to the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, serving as the program officer for the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund (DRWF) (www.detroitregionalworkforcefund.org. The DRWF supports and cultivates workforce partnerships that will help metro-Detroit residents secure employment and provide financially sustaining wages while meeting the employers’ workforce needs. 

With the assistance of the Department of Labor, the DRWF has been able to support Detroiter’s Working for Environmental Justice’s (www.dwej.org), Green Jobs Training program, a brownfield remediation training program for local residents. Additionally, the DRWF has invested in the long-term healthcare and hospitality sectors both of which offer professional development and career pathways and ladders for program participants. The DRWF is on a mission to systematically change the workforce woes in our region by clearly understanding the needs of employers in emerging sectors.

The DRWF is a part of the “Earn It” strategy of United Way for Southeastern Michigan’s Financial Stability Team (www.liveunitedsem.org/issues/income-building-successful-pathways). “Earn It” focuses on getting individuals into jobs with upward earning potential, and careers in growing industries

My days of understanding the bottom line in corporate finance are long gone. Now I am thrilled to support a team that helps individuals understand their financial bottom line and knowing that it all begins with securing a career.

Training = Profits

Check out this recent article published in the Philadelphia Enquirer, that discusses a report released by the Job Opportunity Investment Network (JOIN) about how training equates to increased company profits.

"....Computer Components spent $25,924 to train employees to read blueprints, to do specialized welding and conduct quality audits. The company also spent $16,075 on salaries for the 25 employees while they were in class and $7,047 in staff time attending meetings with the Southeast Pennsylvania Workforce Development Partnership, which sponsored the training. The company’s total expense: $49,045."

Read the entire article here and tell us what you think!

Tweet Your Way to a New Job

When I first started using social media, I used it as a way to stay connected to my graduate school buddies and as a way to stay engaged with my colleagues in Europe. Now, I use it to promote the work of the DetroitRegional Workforce Fund and to assist with connecting people to career pathways. When used properly, social media can actually assist in raising your visibility and actually help you get a job! Check out the link below! 

Tweeting your way to a new career is just a click away. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57367033/tweet-your-way-to-a-new-job-8-twitter-templates/

Green Jobs Training Graduates Part 2

Recently we shared an interview of another DWEJ Green Jobs Training graduate and their unique story. Today, we're happy to share yet another graduate's story. Meet Donitra Scott!

Long-Term Health Care

Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI) has been contracted by the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund to hear from the voice of employers in long-term care and community health. Their work to date has revealed some key barriers to employment in the metro-Detroit area for our target population. We are continuing to work with PHI to hone in on which barriers to address that will have the greatest impact of furthering the career advancement of incumbent workers while improving the opportunities for new workers seeking to enter in to this healthcare sector.

Green Jobs Training Graduates

Back in January of this year, we shared with you two interviews of students currently being trained by one of the Detroit Regional Workforce Fund's workforce partners Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice. (To see those interviews click here and here).

This month we would like to share with you interviews from graduates of the Green Jobs Training Program at DWEJ.  The first is DWEJ graduate Khalil Hamilton. He shares about his current employer and how he became apart of the training program.




Stayed tuned for other alumni interviews later in the month!

Feature in Model D

We're excited that Model D is featuring a story about one of our workforce partners, Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan, specifically, COLORS Restaurant in Detroit.

Here's a snip-it from the article:

"...It’s a common misconception that restaurant workers make tons of easy cash. For a tiny percentage of servers and bartenders at high-end or very busy restaurants, this may be the case. But for the vast majority of workers -- hosts, bussers, dishwashers, cooks, and other staff who keep the machine running smoothly -- restaurant jobs typically offer low pay, no benefits, no paid sick days, little job security, and little or no opportunity for advancement. On top of that, jobs within a restaurant are often highly segregated with regard to race and gender. ROC’s mission is to shed light on these issues and to bring about industry-wide improvements in working conditions. "

To enjoy the full article click here.