CHEERLEADERS FOR DETROIT: U.S. GOVERNMENT LEADERS PAY A VISIT

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Pulling Together on Detroit's Road to Recover

Residents of the Detroit area hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs during the 2007-2009 recession know adversity. But they also know that American innovation and a willingness to pull together are a powerful one-two punch in getting Detroit back on its feet. That was the message Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan brought to the city on Dec. 12 for a series of events focused on efforts to cultivate and integrate federal, state, city, philanthropic and private-sector support to restore Detroit's economic greatness. The two Cabinet officials visited Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich., which was recently selected to lead a nearly $25 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training grant. The grant will help Macomb and seven other Michigan schools enhance and expand their training programs through the launch of the Michigan Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing. The secretaries also traveled to the Northwest Activities Center in Detroit for the kickoff of the Hire Detroit! campaign. Organized by the Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation and MichiganWorks, the event brought together workforce professionals, employers, and local, state and federal leaders to raise awareness of Detroit's workforce needs and encourage employers to hire. One employer — Detroit Manufacturing Systems — has relied heavily on the resources of the local workforce system to hire their 750 employees since 2012. Perez visited DMS later in the day to talk to employees involved in making parts for Ford vehicles.