SER Metro-Detroit recently welcomed Steve Davis, Michigan Market President of Comerica Bank, and Hassan Melhem, Vice President – External Affairs, National Middle Eastern American Business Development. Mr. Davis presented SER with a check for $20,000 to support the ReBuild Detroit program (RBD). During his visit, he met and spoke with several students from SER’s Rebuild Detroit and YouthBuild programs
Housed within the SER Center for Working Families (CWF) in Southwest Detroit, RBD provides expanded contextualized bridge programming to 60 low-income and unemployed residents each year. Detroiters who enroll in the program receive academic instruction and work readiness training and attain the industry-recognized credentials necessary to enter directly into career pathways within the construction industry or to apply for entry into apprenticeship opportunities with SER’s extensive network of labor partners.
“Our students receive individualized coaching from teachers that will assess their academic skills and develop a Career Plan to identify their career pathway and work toward their employment goals,” said Veronica Sanchez Peavey, Senior Assistant Vice President for Adult Services and Regional Director at SER.
“Students also receive soft skills/job readiness training and successful planning for job retention,” Sanchez Peavey said.
Through SER’s Center for Working Families, RBD students and the community in general will connect with a financial coach to receive financial education services including financial literacy workshops. With support from Comerica Bank, the RBD program links Detroiters with access to a highly qualified team of Instructors, Career, and Financial Coaches to prepare them for pre-apprenticeship or apprenticeship opportunities in the construction industry and financial education services to improve economic prosperity.
The program targets low-income unemployed and underemployed Detroit residents with emphasis on those living in Southwest Detroit. Key program objectives are 1. Introduction and exposure to the skilled trades; 2.Contextualized math and reading that will improve academic scores; 3. Training that will improve their skill sets; 4. Assisting participants to become employed in stable, living wage jobs/careers in the skilled trades that will increase their net income, and 5. Connecting participants to apprenticeship opportunities.
In addition, RBD students and other Detroit residents will improve their financial health through SER’s Center for Working Families model. SER will 1) Educate more than 200 Detroit residents on financial education topics such as banking, budgeting, credit establishment or improvements, and homeownership; 2) Connect 40 residents to free tax preparation services at a VITA Intake Center with Accounting Aid Society and 3) Assist 100 individuals achieve a desired financial outcome.
Union and employer partners include C.A. Hull, RAM Construction, Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) Detroit, IBEW Local 58, Union Carpenters And Millwrights Skilled Training Center, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades 1M, Sheet Metal Local 80, Carpenters Local 687, and Plumbers Local 98. These partners have sponsored graduates as pre-apprentices or first-year apprentices. Additional partners include M.U.S.T Careers, City of Detroit, DTE Energy, and Operating Engineers Local 324.
Since 2020, Comerica has granted $85,000 to the program.
