For too long, systemic barriers have created parallel divides in our city – one in digital access and another in career pathways. Just as the digital divide has limited technological opportunities in communities of color, discriminatory practices have historically restricted Detroiters’ access to career advancement by creating an “opportunity divide.” In 2024, our career education strategy was targeted at creating and expanding upon inclusive pathways to ensure Detroit’s next generation of talent can access the opportunities they deserve.
“We believe that investing in Detroit talent goes beyond just the financial component, and is enriched by curating relevant events, programs and partnerships that supports both our business and career seekers. This is one way that we look to highlight local partners and drive our shared hiring outcomes.” – Jonathan Pulley, Sr. Program Manager, Career Education, Rocket Community Fund
Strong partnerships are at the core of building opportunity, and we have the privilege to forge meaningful connections within our own organization to help us dismantle systemic barriers. Since 2023, we have partnered with the Rocket Talent Acquisition team to host Career Connections, bringing hundreds of local high school and college students to our Detroit headquarters for a day of learning and networking. While there, participants have the opportunity to tour and learn about our business, hear from leaders, and explore career opportunities within the family of companies. The goal of the Talent Acquisition team – to attract and retain diverse, top-tier talent – is aligned with our mission to create career and professional development opportunities for Detroit residents.
We frequently collaborate across teams, business areas and the larger Rocket organization to help us advance our shared mission. Since 2018, Rocket has been the anchor employer for Urban Alliance in Detroit, which offers paid internships at Rocket to Detroit high school students. UA interns explore careers, receive one-on-one mentoring, and learn essential skills to support them in their future career path. In 2024, we manifested the evolution of this internship model through a new partnership with Year Up. This innovative career accelerator provides tuition-free job training that precisely matches young professionals’ ambitions with high-demand internships in our organization. Once the program concludes, eligible interns are guaranteed permanent employment. All four Year Up interns placed with Rocket were offered full-time positions upon the conclusion of the program, and we are excited to grow our partnership – and opportunities for Detroiters – in the coming year!
“The partnership between Rocket Community Fund and Rocket Talent Acquisition is special because we have team members who care about helping Detroit talent reach their goals, while also supporting the city of Detroit and its growth. When you combine those two things, we have an immense opportunity to impact the outcome!” –DJ Bridges, Team Leader, Rocket Talent Acquisition
In 2024, we also expanded our support of the Detroit Area Talent Fund, which provides emergency financial aid to help college and post-secondary students stay on track when unexpected challenges threaten to derail their education. Together with the Last Mile Fund and the Detroit Regional Chamber, the Detroit Area Talent Fund launched in 2023 as a pilot program and supported nearly 1,300 students. This year, the program received additional support from new funders to help scale and expand the reach of the program, focusing specifically on students pursuing high-demand STEM majors and credentials. This aligns with our vision to support Detroit talent with pathways for careers in the rapidly expanding tech ecosystem and supports our mission to bridge the digital divide.
Another way we have “tied threads” with our digital inclusion work was through the Generative AI Immersion Day event we held in partnership with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent and Wayne State University. The event was a natural fit for an already robust partnership we have with GDYT that supports Detroit youth with internships, skill-building and career readiness training through the Tech On-Ramps program. The Generative AI event served as a celebration of our partnership and a platform for learning, where high school students from Detroit Public School District were hosted by WSU honor students and presented projects for a day of learning, networking and exploration.
2024 was a year of establishing strong foundations for the next phase of career education through strategic partnerships with local educational institutions, employers, and skill-building organizations. We’re proud to have planted the seeds for a sustainable ecosystem that doesn’t just prepare students for jobs, but ignites their potential to become the next generation of Detroit’s leaders and innovators.