Raven Scott (Detroit at Work): Welcome to the latest episode of 10, 000 Opportunities where we will be exploring the manufacturing industry and opportunities made available for Detroiters. The Motor City is known for manufacturing, so we'll be exploring that today. Let's take a look.
The new FCA Stellantis is opening, and over 4, 000 Detroiters have been offered jobs first through Detroit at Work. There are more opportunities coming to Detroit with more jobs in manufacturing. There are many good paying careers in the city right now. Take Dakota Integrated Systems on the east side of Detroit.
They want to hire Detroiters first, and this could be the job for you. Let's look at one of the newest employers to come to Detroit. In July 2019, Dakota Integrated Systems announced plans to build 000 square foot east side facility on the site of the old Kettering High School. As Mayor Mike Duggan announced at the time, Dakota agreed to give Detroit residents first shot at over 400 jobs that were expected to be created at the new 55 million facility.
Let's check out how things have developed and meet some Detroiters who've gotten hired.
James Wellington (Plant Manager): I've been a plant manager for over six years now with Dakota, and I've grown from being a hollow driver to a supervisor, to a superintendent, to a facility manager, now to a plant manager. My background is trying to make sure that we give opportunities to anyone that has the drive to do better.
If you have that self drive, that self determination, Dakota is the place for you. It's never too late to make a change. Never be afraid of challenges. Always take that first step to develop and do greater things. You're gonna have to start from the ground level. Don't be scared of it. Dakota is here to build on what you already know.
Akshay Patil (Quality Engineer): I've always wanted to be here. To be a part of epicenter of automotive world. And when I saw the initiative that Detroit at Work is doing, encouraging the city residents and pairing them with jobs based on their skill set, I decided to give it a go. On the very next day, I got a call from one of the representatives.
Detroit at Work helped me to basically find a perfect opportunity for me. It was more of a personalized approach. They made it so easy and it was really a shocking experience for me that this thing actually
Hamilton Smith (Team Lead): works. Working in a company that you know that you can have growth in, it's a good thing for me, you know, because I'm looking at somewhere where I can advance into where I'm not just stagnated.
For year after year, they are giving you opportunities to pay for you to go to school, to further your career into madness in Dakota or into automotive. Maybe you may want to be a lawyer, doctor, whatever you may want to be. Dakota helps you get to that point.
Akshay Patil (Quality Engineer): I really like the organization because they promote a diversity culture here, as well as there is a mix of people from all the skill set, all the nationalities.
James Wellington (Plant Manager): It's making sure that those resources are available for anyone. If you build a plant in a community, making sure that you give those opportunities to members of the community. Making sure that those guys understand that there is value in manufacturing. There's opportunities to advance your knowledge and your skill set.
The Etrada Works has been very instrumental in making sure that we give these opportunities and uplift them and have them develop into good citizens of this community.
Raven Scott (Detroit at Work): What do you think? Could Dakota be the fit for you? Dakota Integrated Systems is investing in Detroit and Detroiters. If you're between Chalmers and Dequindre, your future job could just be 10 minutes away from home.
Detroit at Work is your hiring partner and openings are available from entry level to management. And if you're worried about the interview, don't be. Detroit at Work can prepare you. With workshops to remote training, we will have you walking into the interview with confidence. We've already helped over 100 Detroiters get jobs at Dakota, and we can help you too.
Now, let's move a few miles west and explore another employer that has been a part of the manufacturing industry and Detroit landscape for many years. New Center Stamping. New Center Stamping has been a staple in the Detroit manufacturing community for years. Their commitment to employing new talent from the city keeps opportunities flowing for Detroiters who want to get their start in manufacturing.
We're going to give you a look at their culture and why so many Detroiters have found a home and career with New Center Stamping.
Tom Aepelbacher (President & COO): At New Center Stamping, we're looking for people that want a way to advance yourself. We want somebody who wants to spend their career, want to grow with us. Most of the people that work here actually live in the city of Detroit.
Paquette Avenue is right behind our facility, which is the place where Henry Ford made the very first automobile. Now, here we are in 2021, where we have robotic automation in our facility, assisting our great employees doing their work every single day. What would I tell people that
Carterris Richardson (Shipping & Receiving): want to come to New Center Stamping is, you can definitely make a career out of this.
You got to be willing and you got to be wanting.
Linda Henry (Supervisor): What we look for in people is that they want to do this job. They have the desire to learn the job. You can move up, but you have to have that dedication. You have to want that position. They have a lot of openings in here and you can move up to the highest.
It depends on what you want. You have to give them that awe. You have to have that dedication. You have to come to work every day.
Natasha Smith (Supervisor): New Center's a great place to work because it's close to home, it's diverse, and they teach you new things here. So you can start off in one department and then they'll show you what to do to advance to get into another department.
That's what I did. I started working at New Center Stamping in 1997. I actually didn't think that I would be interested in manufacturing, but once I got here and I learned how we put a car together, how we stamp the car, I never knew. Just seeing them drive down the street, what it takes to put this car together.
I've learned that manufacturing is important, and we need our cars, so it's great.
Linda Henry (Supervisor): There's a lot of pride in it, because when I'm driving, my thing is I want to make sure that when I look at those cars, I say, that's a good job. When I came here at first,
Fayez Homren (supervisor): I was kind of hesitating, but then I really, really liked it, and I would recommend you to come to work with us, because this is a place.
We really make a living, nice people. We have nice management, nice bosses. They make you feel like real comfortable. They
Carterris Richardson (Shipping & Receiving): really make you feel, you know, working like a family. We really need to take advantage of the jobs in Detroit. It's so important because a lot of jobs have been shifted. Overseas and, you know, different places around the world and we needed jobs here in Detroit.
New Center Stamping is the place to be. We have jobs available now. Skills that you can learn. Detroit, we need you now. Everybody stand up and come along as a community. We can do this.
Raven Scott (Detroit at Work): As you can see, New Center Stamping is a place where careers are made. Many have advanced from within the organization, thriving on the pride they take in their work and the family like culture of the company.
New Center Stamping wants Detroiters, and they could be a great fit for you. Detroit at Work can get you there. Register with Detroit at Work. And speak with a career advisor about the many career paths available. You know the number, 313 962 WORD. Finally, let's check out a company that was founded more recently.
They now have a team numbering over 1, 000 and most of them are Detroiters. In 2012, Detroit Manufacturing Systems became the first new comprehensive manufacturing facility brought to the city in decades. Detroit at Work was the lead initial recruiter for the new jobs that were available. Eight years later, two thirds of DMS's 1, 000 salaried and hourly team members are Detroit residents.
DMS is still growing and looking to recruit Detroit workers to its Westside facility. So let's hear from some of the Detroiters who have already built a career there.
Fayez Homren (supervisor): We saw the negative impact that the lack of manufacturing jobs and the lack of opportunities for our Detroiters, how much it affected not only our city, but our region.
Craig Leek (Sales): We came in here because it was an underserved community. It's the proximity. The proximity gives people in this community Hope, as well as the opportunity to work. If someone really has the desire to work, to provide, there are jobs out there.
Gia Fletcher (Production): Having a manufacturing job in the city, I love it because it's close to home.
This is my first production job. I've never worked at a plant. And so for them to give me the opportunity to work here, that is awesome. This is something new and different and I've seen that you can take this, uh, far. You can go high up in this company. They want you to better yourself.
Fayez Homren (supervisor): We've got high school graduates.
We have people that have been registered nurses. So we have team members from all walks of life. We've had homeless people. We've had people that have been out of jobs for a significant amount of time that when they can come to a job where they can work 40 plus hours that they can use to build and sustain their families.
And, you know, to have a team member to come to you and say, Hey, I was able to buy my first car. I mean, that type of, of stories, success stories are just blow your mind.
Sierra Massey (Launch Manger): Oftentimes when you come into manufacturing, you just think of just a line worker. You don't think about all the other departments that help keep the manufacturing running and running successfully.
You
Craig Leek (Sales): don't have to have experience in manufacturing. You don't have to have a technical experience. You just have to want to come and be dedicated to the job at hand. You come
Sierra Massey (Launch Manger): in with those, uh, qualities, you know, um, ready to, you know, learn and be dependable here on time, prompt, right? Um, with that, you can, you can soar.
You can soar here. Honestly, I'm a living testament. I started out as an operator in advance. Um, every year, I've had a promotion or two. And it has truly, uh, blessed my family, um, blessed me, right? And I try to be a blessing to other people as well.
Raven Scott (Detroit at Work): These were just three examples of Detroit companies located in the city, recruiting Detroiters, investing in Detroiters, and have a positive impact on their local communities.
Detroit At Work is their resource for recruiting talent, and we can prepare you for those opportunities or your next career step. We offer free virtual workshops and career consultation. We are the City of Detroit's Employment Agency. Whether you are applying for a new position, or you are already employed and looking to advance your career, our free workshops will refresh the skills you have and give you insider knowledge of what employers are looking for.
Topics range from setting goals and preparing for your first day on the job, To working well in teams and communicating with your supervisors. For more information about our workshops, visit DetroitAtWork. com. Together, we can help your career take off. We have thousands of jobs available in manufacturing all around Detroit, and in other careers too.
Plus, we have the right partners to get you ready. From applying for a job, to your first interview, to your next promotion, Detroit At Work will be there. For the team at 10, 000 opportunities, I'm Raven Scott. Thanks for watching. And we can't wait to work with you.