In Detroit, many job seekers face multiple, critical barriers to employment, challenges that exceed the scope of existing workforce development programs. The Workforce Intelligence Network for Southeast Michigan (WIN) is releasing “Supporting Job Seekers Facing Multiple Barriers to Work.” Funded by the McGregor Fund, this report examines barriers and identifies strategies to support job seekers in finding and maintaining employment.
After conducting extensive research around 250+ workforce-related providers in the City of Detroit, WIN built a report interpreting data that “affirms the focus and findings of Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation’s (DESC) workforce system redesign efforts. [These insights are] consistent with DESC’s increased emphasis on poverty reduction and encouraging financial stability for Detroiters.”
The report’s findings confirm that the multiple barriers “detrimental to positive employment outcomes” include “safe and affordable housing, accessible transportation, and affordable and accessible quality child care” among others. Supports addressing these basic needs, coordinated across the workforce system, can enable Detroiters to “successfully engage in the jobs marketplace.”
“As a funder deeply curious about and committed to lifting up solutions to the 40 percent poverty rate in our city, the McGregor Fund saw that WIN would be able to answer some of the most pressing questions we have about the network of providers and approaches for reconnecting jobseekers to work,” according to Kate Levin Markel, McGregor Fund President. “We hope that this research helps to advance community dialogue about what it takes to end poverty through employment.”
We invite you to read and share this critical report as we continue to advance the high-quality, data-informed efforts of our grantee partners to support our neighbors seeking employment.
