Detroit has always been a city of makers, builders, and innovators. Now, a new investment is helping ensure the next generation is prepared to carry that legacy forward.
Today, the Detroit Public Schools Community District Foundation announced a landmark $5 million investment from Ford Motor Company and Bloomberg Philanthropies that will modernize and significantly expand automotive technician training opportunities for Detroit students. The investment will strengthen programs at Breithaupt Career and Technical Center, restart automotive training at Western International High School, and create new pathways for students to pursue high-demand careers in the skilled trades.
The announcement, made at Breithaupt Career and Technical Center alongside Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley and DPSCD Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti, marks one of the first major investments supporting the District’s High School Redesign initiative, which launches this fall across all 11 DPSCD neighborhood high schools.
As Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti noted during the announcement, Detroit students do not face a talent gap, but an opportunity gap. This investment helps close that gap by expanding access to industry-aligned training, credentials, and career pathways that prepare students for success after graduation.
Preparing Students for High-Demand Careers
Across the country, demand for skilled trades professionals continues to grow. By 2029, the United States is expected to need more than 350,000 new automotive technicians, including nearly 7,000 in Michigan alone.
This investment is designed to help meet that need while creating more opportunities for Detroit students to access meaningful, family-sustaining careers.
By 2028, the partnership will quadruple DPSCD’s capacity to train student auto technicians, growing enrollment from 85 students today to more than 300 students across Breithaupt Career and Technical Center and Western International High School.
Students will benefit from upgraded facilities, expanded access to industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning opportunities, transportation support, and enhanced training experiences that mirror today’s automotive workforce.
Strengthening Breithaupt’s Legacy
For generations, Breithaupt Career and Technical Center has prepared Detroit students for careers in skilled trades and technical fields. This investment builds on that legacy by modernizing instructional spaces, expanding training capacity, and creating an even stronger learning environment for students pursuing careers in automotive technology.
The improvements will help ensure students have access to the tools, equipment, and experiences needed to compete in an evolving industry while creating a stronger pipeline of talent for Michigan employers.
The investment will also support the return of automotive training at Western International High School, expanding access to career-connected learning opportunities for students across Southwest Detroit.
Connecting Classroom Learning to Careers
One of the core goals of DPSCD’s High School Redesign is ensuring students can see a clear connection between what they learn in the classroom and the opportunities available after graduation.
“By expanding access to industry-recognized credentials, paid internships, transportation support, and hands-on training aligned with employer needs, we are creating more direct pathways from the classroom to high-demand careers,” said Kerrie Mitchell Campbell-Mabins, President and CEO of the Detroit Public Schools Community District Foundation.
The investment focuses on four key areas: modernizing classrooms, increasing work-based learning and credentials, investing in educators, and removing transportation barriers that can limit access to training opportunities.
Building Detroit’s Future Workforce
The need for skilled trades professionals continues to grow. By 2029, the United States is expected to need more than 350,000 new automotive technicians, including nearly 7,000 in Michigan alone.
“The future of our country depends on the skilled trades,” said Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley. Through this partnership, Ford is helping students gain earlier access to training and career experiences that can lead to family-sustaining careers while meeting the growing workforce needs of the automotive industry.
The initiative is also part of a newly launched national effort from Bloomberg Philanthropies to strengthen pathways into skilled trades careers by bringing together schools, employers, and local partners.
As Michael R. Bloomberg noted in announcing the initiative, communities across the country are facing a shortage of skilled trades workers. Partnerships like this one help address that challenge while opening doors of opportunity for more young people.
Investing in Detroit’s Future
This investment reflects a shared commitment to helping students build their futures in the same place generations of auto workers, engineers, and innovators helped shape the industry.
Together, Ford Motor Company, Bloomberg Philanthropies, DPSCD, and the DPSCD Foundation are creating a model for how philanthropy, industry, and public education can work together to prepare students for success in college, careers, and life.
Because when students have access to the right opportunities, Detroit’s future becomes even stronger.
