The Future of Work initiative will engage business leaders, students and their families in meaningful dialogue and provide career planning resources 

Detroit Public Television and General Motors are joining forces to bridge the talent gap and diversify Michigan’s education and workforce pipeline. The nature of work in Michigan and across the country is rapidly evolving. While employers have been sounding alarm bells for years about a shortage of skilled workers, the state’s ability to retain, attract and train qualified job candidates remains immensely challenging.

With approximately 600,000 job openings forecast in Michigan by 2026, the region’s continued growth and prosperity will rely heavily on having a skilled, high-quality workforce.  

GM’s grant of $500,000 jumpstarts the Future of Work initiative, which addresses the future of Michigan’s workforce through a comprehensive, two-track approach on the Michigan Learning Channel and One Detroit platforms. 

GM’s generous commitment will leverage DPTV’s online, television and community resources to bring the vision for the Future of Michigan’s workforce to fruition with funding to: 

• Convene ongoing dialogue with various stakeholders to deeply understand workforce and talent issues, needs and gaps
• Collect existing resources and create new tools for students, teachers and parents to explore careers and build essential skills needed for success in the workplace
• Create a digital hub for trusted and vetted career information, tools and resources from education and industry leaders with easy, free access for all

This Future of Work initiative builds on the platform and success of the Michigan Learning Channel. DPTV can provide students, teachers and families with curriculum-aligned supplemental tools and resources to explore, select and prepare for a career path. Through broadcast, digital distribution, on-demand resources and engagement, DPTV can immediately reach a statewide broadcast audience of 500,000 viewers, and more than 9,000 teachers and online users per month. 

GM’s initial investment lays the foundation for this vitally important work. We are looking for additional philanthropic funders to help support the initiative and accelerate its reach and impact on Michiganders while strengthening the overall economic development of our great state. 

This Future of Work initiative features two distinct, connected approaches: 

The Michigan Learning Channel – A “cradle to career” initiative which provides students, teachers and parents with age-appropriate, curriculum-based, standards-aligned, multi-platform educational content, programming and experiences to prepare every young person in Michigan for a viable career pathway and successful future 

One Detroit – Through stories, town hall conversations and live event coverage, One Detroit will engage with business leaders, employers, educators and government organizations.  Coverage will focus on the most pressing issues and promising solutions to expand the labor pool and build candidates who can meet the workforce challenges facing Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Our state faces a talent gap that is quickly becoming a crisis for employers and needs to look inward to grow a talent pipeline for the future. Students are receiving too little support for career exploration, preparation and workplace learning experiences.  A recent national survey by EdWeek revealed that only 16% of teachers felt that their school provided curriculum for students that met employer needs. Parents try to help but often lack the knowledge and resources to help their children chart pathways to successful futures. 

In April, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2022 “State of Education” report documented drops in both university and community college enrollment, with higher dropout rates related to the pandemic. Enrollment declined by 10% among students from low-income high schools. The report stated educational attainment and equity gaps are holding back the region’s prosperity. Data like this drives the DPTV mission to use its platforms to address the state’s ongoing challenges with education. 

This critical initiative will help every Michigan student explore and prepare for the right post-secondary option while providing a pipeline of talent ready to fill Michigan’s workforce needs.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is a global company focused on advancing an all-electric future that is inclusive and accessible to all. At the heart of this strategy is the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. General Motors, its subsidiaries and its joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety and security services, can be found at https://www.gm.com.

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements: This communication and related comments by management may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact and represent our current judgement about possible future events. In making these statements, we rely upon assumptions and analysis based on our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments, as well as other factors we consider appropriate under the circumstances. We believe these judgements are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any future events or financial results, and our actual results may differ materially due to a variety of important factors, many of which are described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or other factors that affect the subject of these statements, except where we are expressly required to do so by law.