November 13, 2026
An op-ed published in Fortune by Anika Goss, president and CEO of Detroit Future City, and Angelique Power, president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation, draws on the findings of Career-Connected Learning: Investing in Detroit’s Future Talent, a May 2026 report from Detroit Future City and The Skillman Foundation examining how young Detroiters are exposed to careers and where gaps in that exposure remain.
Written ahead of the Fortune 500 Innovation Forum in Detroit, the piece highlights the report’s finding that Detroit youth hear plenty about careers but have few chances to try them. Of young Detroiters surveyed, 78 percent had heard from a guest speaker or professional mentor, yet fewer than half had completed an internship or paid work experience, and just 35 percent had received hands-on training. The authors argue that workforce efforts too often focus on the end of the journey, after young people have already formed assumptions about which careers exist and where they belong.
Drawing on surveys and focus groups with nearly 200 Detroit youth, along with conversations with educators, employers and community leaders, the op-ed makes the case that business can help close the gap between talk and practice. Through mentorships, internships, apprenticeships and other work-based learning, starting as early as middle school, employers can help young people discover their options and build stronger talent pipelines. The authors point to efforts already underway, including Detroit Public Schools Community District’s High School Redesign and Henry Ford Health’s RYSE MED program.
