City of Detroit issued the following announcement.
- Program meets goal in spite of COVID-19
- 80% of experiences are completely online to maintain social distancing
The Mayor made the announcement at today’s press briefing, noting that this year sees the 46,000th summer job experience provided since launching the program in 2015.
“A lot of cities around the U.S. have either had to scale back their summer youth programs, or even cancel them entirely due to Coronavirus” said Mayor Duggan. ”We never considered that option for a moment. We are always grateful to our partners but particularly so this year. Pivoting to an entirely new program at scale in only three months is a remarkable achievement and shows not only the level of commitment to our youth we have in this city, but also the strength of the partnerships we have built.”
GDYT this year will offer a range of career experience opportunities for the city’s youth. 1,600 older youth will have in-person work experiences with employers in fields such as masonry, supply-chain management, retail, healthcare and hospitality. The remaining 6,400 will have virtual experiences utilizing a variety of platforms allowing youth to immerse themselves in specific career pathways virtually, with many getting online with a FREE laptop or tablet, internet access and tech support.
“GDYT 2020 will leverage two online job training platforms” said Marie Hocker, Executive Director of GDYT. "One provides interactive day-in-the-life career exploration, and another is a digital instructor-led platform customized with simulated work experiences in manufacturing, IT, customer service, healthcare and construction. Youth will engage directly with employers in virtual meetings and workshops.”
To enable the digital program component, roughly 40% of youth participating in the virtual programs will receive a digital device and connectivity through Detroit Public Schools Community District’s ‘Connected Futures’ initiative.
The remaining 60% will receive a device and connectivity through the contributions of sponsors, including Bank of America, Skillman Foundation, Quicken Loans Community Fund & Rock Family of Companies through the Connect 313 partnership, The Valade Family, and the Wayne Metro Community Action Agency.
GDYT youth will complete a total of 120 hours, earning a stipend of up to $1,200. Activities start this week and will run until late August.
Original source can be found here.
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