Building Futures: How Detroit’s Skilled Trades Task Force helps residents rebuild their lives

For more than 30 years, Bryan Jones had found himself in a difficult place in his life, and he couldn’t seem to get out. He’d spent those three decades thinking about how he got there and what he would do once he could finally take advantage of opportunities again. 

In 2018, at age 51, the Skilled Trades Task Force presented him with an opportunity. Today, he is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and works in Detroit.

The Skilled Trades Task Force was established more than a decade ago by the Detroit City Council to attract more people to the skilled trades. Since Council Member Mary Waters took over as chair in 2022, it has gotten renewed energy.

“These are not just jobs,” says Waters. “They are career opportunities.”

The task force has meetings nine times a year where interested parties can come, network, and ask questions about how to get involved in the trades. The meetings usually last two hours, including presentations from various union representatives and community organizers, then there’s a Q&A, followed by a brief chance to speak one-on-one.

This was how Jones found his current job. 

He texted Percy Johnson, a retired pipefitter and member of the task force. Every meeting, Johnson gives out his phone number and tells people to text him “help.”  Jones did.

It is not as simple as showing up at the meeting and getting a job. Jones attended for almost two years, networking and volunteering, before he entered the apprenticeship program.

Others who attend the meetings can end up in the pre-apprenticeship programs at Focus Hope and SER Metro-Detroit, which have plans to fill in any gaps needed. The gaps can include the need for a high school diploma, improving math and reading skills, gaining experience, getting certifications like OSHA, and even a car. SER has the same “earn while you learn” policy for its Youth Build program.

“These are good-paying jobs,” says Waters. “And college is not for everyone.”

People who ask questions at the meeting include everyone from guys who looked too young to shave to women who worked in manufacturing for 20+ years seeking a change. 

Many of the pre-apprentice programs are also geared towards people who want to be retrained for a new career. 

Make no mistake, the Skilled Trades Task Force wants anyone who wants to switch to have that opportunity.  

While work requirements and processes are part of the meetings, real-world tidbits are commonly shared. They include the best way to work with the journeyman who is training you, and how it is better to ask the right question once than many times over and over.  

“Early is on time and on time is late” is a term John Perkins of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights drills into attendees’ heads. This is the type of advice that people with a longer work life may be more able to adapt.

The union reps also tell people to follow their passion when choosing a new career.

“Don’t choose based on pay,” says Perkins. “They all pay well, pick a trade you want to do.”

Others share their passions and real-world experience. One retired carpenter talks about how great it is to fix and remodel his own home. A woman from the IBEW proudly talks about fixing up The Fox and how she can show you her resume with a drive down Woodward.

Council Member Waters talks about these meetings almost every time she shows up around the city, at City Council events, and even at the grocery store.  

During a recent meeting, she mentioned how she is keeping an eye on the increased national discussion on skilled trades to see if more funding is possible.  Last March, she set aside funding to start an apprenticeship program directly tied to Detroit’s municipal services.

Waters has made big pushes to raise awareness of the task force since becoming chair, not only including it in her usual news to constituents but also working to raise money to advertise the program.

After the meeting adjourned, we found her in conversation with Johnson about the potential for the future of skilled trades.

Johnson believes the skilled trades could take on the role Ford, GM, and Chrysler played, bringing more people to Detroit by providing good-paying jobs, which will help expand the city’s middle class.

That’s going to take a coordinated effort.

“We as citizens need to push our elected officials,” says Johnson, who knows it will take more than just him to see that change, but he sees the opportunity.

Any long-time resident could tell you there is more construction in Detroit than there has been in a long time. The city’s population is growing again, which equates to more home rehabbing and repairs. All of that means more work for skilled trades.

Johnson is also working on plans to keep tradesmen employed even when construction slows down.

While not explicitly commenting on the plan, Perkins shares a similar view on what skilled trades offer people.

“Careers in the trades mean building sustainable wealth.” 

The meetings take place nine times a year and will resume in September. They take place in a different neighborhood each time to allow wider accessibility. Locations are listed on the Detroit city website when they are announced.

“We are here to provide you with opportunity,” says Johnson. “These are your tax dollars paying for this; use it.”

The Skilled Trades Task Force has had a real impact on people’s lives. Waters says people have come to her to tell them about their new lives.  

Jones, who came in after hard times, was able to build a better life. “It does a lot to give you a lot of respect for the opportunity,” he says.