Bedrock and Quicken Loans has committed $1 million to the Breithaupt Career and Technical School, a Detroit institution for culinary arts, retail and hospitality, automotive service and collision repair, and mechatronics and welding. Bedrock’s investment is part of the city’s efforts to raise $9 million for the educator’s infrastructure and training over the next three years. Breithaupt engages 450 students today, and, with the investment, expects to grow to over 650. Over the next three years, it is expected to grow to over 2,000 students.
“Detroit’s long-term growth depends on job creation,” said Bill Emerson, vice president of Quicken Loans. “We are proud to be part of an initiative that is training Detroit residents for the thousands of opportunities emerging around the city. We remain committed to ensuring that employment opportunities for Detroiters develop as the city grows. Programs like Breithaupt are a critical element of that equation.”
“Employment opportunities are continuing to expand in Detroit, and we need to make sure every Detroiter has access to job training and career pathways,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “That’s why I am so excited about this investment in Breithaupt and in the city’s other career technical education centers. Thanks to Quicken Loans’ and Bedrock’s generous contribution, we are off to a great start on revitalizing these critical programs.”
The effort is a partnership between the city, the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) and Mayor Duggan’s Workforce Development Board.
Breithaupt will be the second of Detroit’s career technical education schools to be revitalized after Randolph CTE center underwent a similar $10 million renovation, adding programs and replacing old equipment. Today, more than 300 high school students attend training programs at Randolph during the day in fields such as electrical, plumbing and masonry. More than 300 adults train in the same fields after school.
“Working together, we want to bring new life to Breithaupt through the perfect mix of private and public partnerships, as we did for Randolph,” said David Meador, vice chairman and chief administrative officer at DTE, who also serves as the co-chairman of Mayor Duggan’s Workforce Development Board. “There are more career opportunities available to Detroiters than there have been in decades, so it’s important to ensure the next generation have the skills they need to get good, quality jobs.”
“The transformation of Randolph and the district’s ability to collaborate and implement effectively with business partners has inspired new projects and opportunities for schools, students and economic development,” said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the DPSCD. “The most recent evidence of this is now at Breithaupt, where the investment in new facilities will position the district to offer unique automotive, culinary and cosmetology programming to accelerate our expansion of college and work-ready pathways for students. Detroit is seeing unprecedented cooperation between the district, city and business community to develop the next generation of talented employees.”
Quicken Loans and Bedrock will also help the cityand Breithaupt work with community and industry experts to align their curriculum with high-growth, high-demand industries. The goal of the program is to prepare students to enter the workforce and to provide them with the tools and skills to be successful.
“Our tenants have a strong need for people who have culinary arts, retail and hospitality skills, and Bedrock’s investment in Breithaupt will help build a pipeline of talent for Detroit’s growing economy,” says Jim Ketai, CEO of Bedrock. “Our company is investing billions in transformational development projects that will generate tens of thousands of permanent and construction jobs in Detroit. Every tenant in our portfolio will benefit from gaining access to job candidates like those that graduate from Breithaupt.”
Bedrock and Quicken Loans will be joined by other partners in the effort, including DTE Energy, Penske Corporation, General Motors and Ford Motor Company.
Interested families and students seeking enrollment information should contact the Breithaupt Career and Technical School at 313-866-9550.
For more information, please visit www.bedrockdetroit.com.
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