Dive Brief:

• In an effort to fix a broken training and development pipeline, leaders from Detroit’s Workforce Development Board plan to “rewire” the city’s labor pool by creating more entry level training and adult education for skilled trades programs, similar to the ones developed in 2017, Crain's Detroit Business reports.
• The board sought renovations for Randolph Career and Technical Center to save the high school from closure. In January, the school began its adult skilled construction trades night classes; enrollment is expected to exceed the initial goal of 300. A second skilled-trades high school is in the works to meet need and demand.
• In response to need at area hospitals, the workforce board created a program to train for entry-level patient care positions in 2017, as well; 93 of the 95 graduates were hired. The plan is to use the model across a range of industries to help employers address immediate need while upskilling the community. The board may create programs for finance and IT positions, too.

Dive Insight:

Private and government entities are looking to help communities (and companies) by starting where it all begins: school. Companies like Google and Apple have aligned with local schools to further STEM education and improve talent pipelines overall. For many industries like construction and manufacturing, the trouble starts in school, as parents may be leery of introducing their kids to such work thanks to misunderstanding of how the work looks today.

In Oregon, 16 schools have partnered with local employers to create interest in tech careers in response to the skills gap. The U.S. Department of Labor is also pushing for apprenticeship initiatives to address the issue — and it goes beyond just STEM careers. The need for construction and skilled manufacturing workers is driving training and development initiatives across the country, as well.