A group of 100 Detroit high school students helped install glass, lay brick and bend pipes at the future headquarters of the American Indian Health and Family Services in Southwest Detroit, giving students a first-hand look into a variety of skilled trades jobs.
The event, held by Sachse Construction on Thursday, April 16, took place at a time when students are having to consider how artificial intelligence will affect the economy and the jobs that might be available when they join the workforce.
That was on the mind of 18-year-old Tyrese Freeman, a senior at Osborn High School, who said he plans to pursue HVAC studies at Ferris State University after high school.
“Not to attack any profession, but, those behind-the-computer jobs, those things go away,” Freeman said. “You’re always going to need to eat. You’re always going to need clean clothes. You’re always going to need HVAC technicians … so the biggest thing is the job security.”
Sachse Construction CEO Todd Sachse said the event began 12 years ago as part of the company’s social mission to support Detroit youth through life skills and skilled labor.
The best approach, said Sachse, wasn’t just to talk to students about the skilled trades, “but actually talk to and do hands-on work with actual skilled tradesmen and women, and show them what they do and let them actually do it.”
Michigan has a projected 35,000 annual job openings from 2022 to 2032 in skilled trades, according to the state. Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield noted the gap and encouraged young people to look into skilled trades.
“There’s tens of thousands of skilled trade jobs available throughout the state of Michigan. Detroit, we have numerous projects that are up and coming. And the workforce around skilled trades is aging,” Sheffield said. “We need younger people to get into these roles and these positions and help create and build the future of our city.”
‘Room to grow’
The construction site, the American Indian Health and Family Services (AIHFS), has special meaning to some of the students who took part Thursday .
AIHFS is an urban Native American, federally qualified health center that also hosts activities for youth. Its Dream Seekers program, serves youth between the ages of 11 and 17 and incorporates traditional Native American teachings to help support each member’s wellbeing. Thursday was the first time students in that group got a chance to see the new building.
Sofia King, 15, of Monroe, has been with the Dream Seekers since 2019 and said she is excited for the future of the AIHFS. The group has been involved in planning for the new building.
“I have seen it grow from so many different people and I think it has so much more room to grow here, with this building, and having the resources for the youth,” King said. “As an urban Native and a youth, not being connected to my people, this gives a place for purpose, for everybody and I think that’s amazing.”
AIHFS that has been around since 1978, and operates out of a former Catholic church on Lawndale Street in Southwest Detroit and serves about 2,000 patients.
“We needed to expand to really optimize our integrated care model,” said AIFHS CEO Chasity Dial, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. “We offer primary care, behavioral health services with traditional Native American healing practices that incorporates contemporary western medicine with traditional practices.”
Dial said the organization emphasizes “the whole person, care, the mind, body, spirit and community. And in order to elevate and expand, we need more space for that.”
The new 30,000-square-foot facility — located 2 miles from the current location — will allow the organization to serve up to 5,000 patients a year and is slated to include a pharmacy and offer dental services.
Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture at the Free Press as a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this work.
Contact Eric Guzmán: eguzman@freepress.com; 313-222-1850. Follow him on X and Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit high school students get hands on with skilled trade activities
Reporting by Eric Guzmán, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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