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City construction projects lack Detroiters 

April 30, 2025

None of the 35 construction projects tracked by the city of Detroit met the local hiring requirement established by Mayor Mike Duggan's executive order, which mandates that at least 51% of the workforce on certain publicly funded projects be Detroit residents. In 2024, only 32% of construction hours were worked by Detroiters, dropping to just 14% when excluding members of local trade unions participating in Detroit's Skilled Trade Employment Program. Developers who fail to meet the requirement must pay fines, which totaled nearly $1.

Who is affected

  • Detroit residents seeking construction jobs
  • Construction companies and developers working on city projects
  • Participants in Detroit At Work training programs
  • Local trade unions and their members
  • Residents enrolled in Skills for Life, JumpStart and Learn to Earn adult education programs

What action is being taken

  • The Civil Rights Inclusion and Opportunity Department is monitoring construction projects through a publicly available dashboard
  • The city is collecting fines from developers and contractors who fail to meet local hiring requirements
  • Detroit At Work is offering training programs to connect residents to apprenticeships
  • The city is using collected fines to support workforce training programs

Why it matters

  • The failure to meet local hiring requirements means fewer Detroit residents are benefiting from construction jobs in their own city
  • The city faces significant challenges in developing a skilled workforce due to educational deficiencies
  • Detroit At Work participants average only a 6.6 grade level in math and a 7.8 grade level in reading, well below the 10th-grade level required for many apprenticeship programs
  • Nearly half of potential workers lack reliable transportation
  • The city is losing important adult education programs that were helping residents obtain high school diplomas and job certifications

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com