New jobs program in Detroit connects employees with employers

Mayor Mike Duggan announced a new training program to help Detroiters find jobs during Tuesday night's State of the City address.

It's called Detroit at Work. The program is free for any Detroit resident who wants to learn the skills needed to land a job in the city.

Duggan said, "We went to the employers in this city, and we said to them 'what jobs are you hiring for?' And then we went to the training programs that were training for those jobs. So people knew, if [they] actually went through the program, there will be a job at the end of the line."

"You register, you come into a Detroit at Work one-stop location, and then meet with an advisor who will help you reach your goal," says Chioke Mose-Telesford, the deputy director for workforce development. "Whether you have high school diploma or college degree, we are trying to find best opportunity for your skill set."
 
Right now, more than 700 Detroiters are taking part. The training is full-time over the course of several weeks. But it may vary depending on what field the participant chooses.

Teron Briggs, chose IT. "I started researching it. I found out there are 5,000 to 10,000 jobs that are going to go unfilled. They need Detroiters to work in these fields," Briggs said.

The city says they can't guarantee a job immediately. What they do say is you will have the skills necessary to get one on your own.

The city says signing up is easy. Just visit detroitatwork.com.