Program Helps Young Detroiters Find Work

DETROIT (WWJ) - Getting any kind of job these days is tough, let alone a summer job if you're a kid. But a program underwritten in part by the DTE Energy Foundation will help to make summer jobs available this year.

WWJ Newsradio 950's Ron Dewey was at the kickoff the of "Grow Detroit's Young Talent Campaign" Thursday morning.

Now in its third year, the program enables youngsters to learn the value of a good day's work -- and possibly lead them to their future careers.

DTE Energy Foundation President Fred Shell said they wanted to give kids a chance not only to have a summer job, but what it takes to succeed. Shell said they want kids to know that having a job isn't just about work, but also about personal satisfaction.

"One of my favorite stories from last year was a young man who wanted to be a chef," said Shell. "He was working at a restaurant … Mayor Bing came in for dinner (and) he was able to serve his own recipes to Mayor Bing. He did such a great job they hired him at the restaurant."

That young chef, Ayinde Bell, ended up with a full-time job because of the program. Bell's summer job exposed him to different work situations that were geared towards his ambitions.

"Specifically working at Sweet Potato Sensations taught me the day-in and day-out operations of a business …" said Bell. "Hopefully I can attend a school for culinary arts and become a pastry chef."

Dierk Hall of City Connect Detroit manages the program that is funded by DTE Energy and other donors. The campaign is focused on raising $2 million to provide summer jobs to over 1,200 of the city's teens.

"As you can imagine, there's quite never enough dollars from the federal government and the state government to do this work," said Hall. "So private sector, industry, philanthropic and individuals have come together to try to raise dollars to support young people this summer."

So far, nearly $1.5 million have been raised to help groom the region's future workforce.