Education has been key in closing the racial equity gap and has proven to drive economic equity. The talent pipeline in the Detroit region directly impacts the workforce needs and per capita income of our region. Students in the city and region are falling off at various points of their education – before graduating high school, before obtaining a college degree or skilled certificate, and before joining the workforce. Since majority of Detroit students are Black, Latinx, or of other minority races, these populations are being disproportionately impacted by the broken talent pipeline.
Programs like the Detroit Promise that help high school students have the opportunity to attend college are very important to help close the economic gap. Highschool programs that promote the number of Black, Latinx, and minority students taking dual-enrollment courses, which is positively correlated with increased college enrollment, help increase the chances of obtaining a college education. Having campaigns that encourage moderate-income students to complete the Federal Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA), qualifying them for Pell grants will encourage more students to attend college with scholarships. Further, encouraging community colleges and universities across the region to adopt national best practices with respect to remedial course work will help increase the percentage of students who successfully complete and earn college level credits. With 98% of students being low-income or Black, Latinx, or another minority race, extra resources are needed to help achieve education equality which translates to economic equity.