A new report from Detroit Future City and The Skillman Foundation outlines strategies to expand career-connected learning, strengthen workforce readiness, and improve long-term economic opportunity for the youth of Detroit.
The report, titled “Career-Connected Learning: Investing in Detroit’s Future Talent,” examines how Detroit’s education, workforce, and community systems can better align to connect young people with meaningful opportunities and pathways to high-wage careers.
It highlights the city’s strong foundation of youth talent, community partnerships, and emerging workforce opportunities, while identifying where stronger coordination and support can help more young people contribute to the future economy.
Developed in partnership with the Youth Policy Lab, the report combines youth engagement, stakeholder input, and labor market analysis to examine how Detroit can strengthen career-connected learning pathways for young people.
Funded by The Skillman Foundation, a Detroit-based philanthropy focused on transforming education systems and expanding opportunities for Detroit youth, the report finds that Detroit’s young people are talented, motivated, and eager to succeed. Too many, however, are navigating fragmented systems where the support and opportunities needed to prepare for long-term career success remain inconsistent, outside their areas of interest, or out of reach.
“Detroit has talent, but too many young people still lack clear connections between what they learn in school and real career opportunities,” says Anika Goss, CEO of Detroit Future City. “Creating those connections requires an intentional and coordinated effort across education, workforce, business, and community systems.”
As industries evolve and demand for skilled workers grows, the systems designed to prepare young people have not kept pace. The report highlights a critical disconnect between education pathways and workforce opportunities.
This is especially true for students who have historically faced barriers to accessing resources — leaving many students without the coordinated guidance, exposure, and real-world experiences needed to successfully transition into the workforce.
The report identifies five key opportunities to be addressed:
- Uneven access to career exploration, internships, apprenticeships, and work-based learning opportunities.
- Inconsistent career advising, mentorship, and navigation support for students and families.
- Misalignment between education pathways and high-wage, high-growth careers.
- Limited transportation and financial supports that make participation in career-connected learning difficult for many students.
- Fragmented systems lacking coordination and shared strategy.
The report defines career-connected learning as experiences that connect classroom learning to workforce preparation through career exploration, mentorship, internships, apprenticeships, and other hands-on learning opportunities.
Through real-world learning experiences, students build critical competencies such as communication, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability — skills increasingly essential in an AI-driven workplace, according to the report. These experiences also drive improved student outcomes, including stronger engagement, better attendance, and higher academic achievement.
Critically, when designed with youth at the center, career-connected learning can help close longstanding equity gaps in access to opportunity, ensuring that all young people can pursue pathways that lead to economic mobility and long-term success, say educators.
At its core, the report calls for stronger coordination across schools, employers, workforce organizations, nonprofits, and youth-serving institutions, so young people can more easily navigate available opportunities and support.
The report outlines a clear roadmap for action, including:
- Expand early career awareness and exposure opportunities.
- Strengthen advising and mentorship for students and families.
- Better align education pathways with regional workforce needs.
- Reduce barriers to participation in work-based learning.
- Improve collaboration and data-sharing across systems.
The goal is to create a more coordinated system that helps young people successfully navigate from education into high-demand careers.
The report emphasizes that no single institution can solve the challenge alone. Employers, educators, policymakers, philanthropy, and community organizations all have a role to play in building a stronger, more aligned ecosystem and ensuring opportunity is not determined by zip code.
“The future is being formed right now, by each of us. It’s on us to nurture entrepreneurial, civic-minded, creative thinkers who feed into the workplace and revolutionize the economy,” says Angelique Power, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation. “Regardless of whether you have children, this matters. There is a direct bright line between the prosperity of the next generation and the quality of life for all.”
To view “Career-Connected Learning: Investing in Detroit’s Future Talent” and learn about upcoming events related to the report, visit detroitfuturecity.com.
