JPMorgan Chase & Co. is giving a three-year, $4 million grant to United Way for Southeastern Michigan in an effort to expand young people’s access to high-demand jobs in Detroit.
“This JPMorgan Chase grant will be used to expand upon the success of our high school work over the past five years,” says Herman Gray, president and CEO of United Way for Southeastern Michigan. “We are grateful for this funding to help continue our efforts and enhance our impact throughout Detroit through the Linked Learning initiative, which will help build a strong foundation for student success in college, career and life.”
The grant is designed to connect up to 10,000 Detroit high school students to career education and work experiences over the next three years.
With the grant, the United Way office in downtown Detroit will expand its Linked Learning initiative and grow its capacity to work closely with employers.
The organization will coordinate with more principals, teachers, and business leaders to align career-oriented education programs — including curriculum and work-based learning — with high-demand sectors in Detroit.
In January, JPMorgan Chase launched its New Skills for Youth program, which is a $75 million, five-year initiative to strengthen career and technical education and create pathways to economic success. As part of the initiative, the company is investing in programs around the world that are developing new models of career-focused education (including the $4 million grant in Detroit).
“We are excited about expanding career-focused educational programs that give Detroit’s young people opportunities to access career pathways in the city’s expanding sectors,” says Chauncy Lennon, head of workforce initiatives at JPMorgan Chase. “Building off a model proven in other communities, the collaborative approach being taken by the city to solve tough issues is reflected in their commitment to work with civic, business, and education leaders to better align education with the skills that growing business sectors need.”
