Sandy K. Baruah President and Chief Executive Officer at Detroit Regional Chamber | Official website
Sandy K. Baruah President and Chief Executive Officer at Detroit Regional Chamber | Official website
Earlier this month, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s TalentEd and MichAuto, in partnership with the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA), organized a Career Development Talent Summit called Connect 360: Talent, Technology, and Transformation. The event brought together about 150 employers, educators, and workforce professionals to discuss innovation and talent development.
Participants attended panels and breakout sessions focused on building equitable talent pipelines, using technology in workforce planning, and improving employer branding to attract new talent. A student panel shared perspectives on the current job market for recent graduates and discussed how education and industry partners can better connect students to opportunities in the Detroit region. Employers also addressed their own challenges related to talent acquisition and talked about trends and strategies for creating more inclusive hiring practices.
Speakers at the summit included Ashleigh Glass-Cooper from TWB; Jessie Krasa from 12twenty; Mark Macdonald from Handshake; Manish Senta from TekWissen; Julie Short, Manager of Employer Partnerships; Beth Swanson from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; Bernard Swiecki from The Detroit Regional Partnership; Ann Thompson from Ford Motor Company; and Carla Walker-Miller of Walker-Miller Energy Services.
The event featured findings from the GEM Future Tech and Mobility Talent Study, which provided insights into workforce priorities in the region through 2030.
Connect 360 is part of a new Industry Insights series launched by the Chamber. This series will bring together education and business leaders quarterly to discuss trends in key industries. Each session will include networking opportunities, a panel discussion with industry experts, and Q&A sessions designed to help education leaders support students’ career development.
Educators interested in participating in TalentEd’s initiatives are encouraged to fill out an online form or contact Amber Greenway Neher at aneher@detroitchamber.com. Employers can also get involved by filling out a separate form or contacting Erin Walker at ewalker@detroitchamber.com.
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