Grow Detroit’s Young Talent

What Grow Detroit’s Young Talent does

Grow Detroit's Young Talent (GDYT) is a citywide summer youth employment initiative operated by the City of Detroit through the Detroit at Work workforce development system. Founded in 2015, the program serves Detroit residents ages 14-24 by providing paid work experiences of up to 120 hours across a three-tier developmental model: Career Exploration (ages 14-16, first-time workers), Ready for Work (ages 16-24, some prior experience), and Career Pathway Internships (ages 17-24, focused career pathways paying minimum $15/hour). The program operates seasonally, with applications opening in March and placements running July through August, and includes mandatory 12 hours of work readiness training, financial literacy coaching, and free DDOT bus transportation.

GDYT delivers its program through a centralized coordination model involving Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation (DESC) as employer of record and payroll processor, Connect Detroit as the Summer Youth Employment Coordinator managing Program Providers, and a network of 100+ Business, Civic, and Community Partners providing job placements. Employer Partners sponsor 6-week work experiences at $2,500 per youth, and youth are matched either through Career Connections Fairs or GDYT staff placement. The program served a record 8,527 youth in 2024, up from approximately 5,000-5,600 in its first year, and costs approximately $13 million annually to operate. The technology stack is minimal, consisting of a web-based application portal (gdyt.descmi.com) with no proprietary AI or machine learning capabilities referenced.

Funding for GDYT comes from the City of Detroit, 14+ flagship Funding Champions (Rocket Community Fund, DTE Foundation, Chase Bank, Ballmer Group, Fifth Third Bank, CVS Health, Bank of America, Marathon Petroleum, MGM Grand Detroit, Ally Bank, Barton Malow Builders, Comerica Bank, Ralph Wilson Jr. Foundation, and DWIHN), employer sponsorship fees, and individual donations. The program is led by Executive Director Marie Amber Hocker and Director of Program Operations Misty Evans, with academic evaluation support from the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab and School of Social Work. Geographic eligibility is restricted to permanent residents of the City of Detroit.

Name

Grow Detroit’s Young Talent

Legal name

Grow Detroit's Young Talent

Website

https://gdyt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Grow Detroit's Young Talent (GDYT) is a City of Detroit nonprofit summer youth employment program serving Detroit residents ages 14-24 through a three-tier paid work experience model. The program places approximately 8,000 youth annually with 100+ employer partners at an annual operating cost of $13 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Workforce Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Young Adult Workforce Programs (Out-of-School Youth) (EDAAAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

Keywords

• Youth employment programs
• Summer jobs initiative
• Workforce development services
• Career readiness training
• Employer partnership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public and Philanthropic Funding: GDYT is a publicly-funded workforce development initiative. The program receives funding from the City of Detroit, corporate foundations, and philanthropic donors. Cost to run the program is approximately $13 million annually. Employers pay $2,500 per youth to sponsor 6-week work experiences as Employer Partners. The program does not generate revenue from participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Grow Detroit's Young Talent (GDYT) is a citywide summer youth employment program that trains and places Detroit youth ages 14-24 in paid work experiences through a three-tiered model (Career Exploration, Ready for Work, Career Pathway Internships). Employers sponsor 6-week placements at $2,500 per youth, while GDYT manages payroll, work readiness training, financial literacy coaching, and Career Connections Fairs to match participants with host worksites across diverse industries.

Product overview

Grow Detroit's Young Talent (GDYT) is a citywide summer jobs program that trains and employs young adults between the ages of 14 and 24 for up to 120 hours. The program operates a tiered service model consisting of three tiers: Career Exploration (Tier 1) for first-time workers ages 14-16, Ready for Work (Tier 2) for those with some experience ages 16-24, and Career Pathway Internships (Tier 3) for experienced youth ages 17-24 seeking focused career pathways. Supporting services include mandatory 12-hour work readiness training, Career Connections Fairs for employer matching, employer partnership sponsorship, and bi-weekly payroll processing. Youth are recruited through educational institutions, community organizations, and the city's workforce development system, with placements across diverse industries including clerical, hospitality, greening, senior support, summer camps, custodial, food service, and healthcare.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Career Exploration (Tier 1) Entry-level tier for youth ages 14-16 with little to no previous work experience that introduces first-time work and career opportunities through community service, team projects, and job shadowing.
• Ready for Work (Tier 2) Mid-tier program for youth ages 16-24 with some previous work experience that places participants with a host employer or in vocational training while continuing to build career readiness skills.
• Career Pathway Internships (Tier 3) Competitive advanced tier for youth ages 17-24 with prior work experience seeking focused career pathway internships with a host employer; pays minimum $15 per hour.
• Work Readiness Training Mandatory minimum 12 hours of work readiness training provided to all GDYT youth participants prior to placement, including financial literacy coaching and bank account assistance.
• Employer Partner Program Partnership offering where employers provide job placements at designated worksites and sponsor a 6-week paid work experience (120 hours) for $2,500 per youth, with GDYT providing orientation, toolkits, and worksite monitoring support.
• Youth Payroll Processing Bi-weekly payroll administration service for youth participants with hours tracked via supervisor approval, paid through pay card or direct deposit.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,527 youth served in record year; program has grown from ~5,000 to over 8,000 annually over 10 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• City of DetroitcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCity of Detroit serves as the implementing governmental authority, providing institutional oversight and coordination through the Detroit at Work workforce development system. Mayor's office provides public support and policy alignment.
• Detroit Employment Solutions CorporationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDESC manages youth placement for non-Career Connections Fair participants and processes youth payroll. Serves as employer of record and handles employer relationship management for youth placements.
• Connect DetroitcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConnect Detroit serves as the GDYT Summer Youth Employment Coordinator, managing Program Providers through non-financial agreements and overseeing youth slot allocations. Lead Agencies contract directly with Connect Detroit.
• University of Michigan Youth Policy LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvaluation partner providing research and policy analysis for GDYT program outcomes and impact measurement.
• University of Michigan School of Social WorkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvaluation partner supporting GDYT through academic research, program evaluation, and youth development expertise.
• 100+ Business, Civic, and Community PartnersflagshipOthersExtensive network including employers, nonprofits, government agencies, and educational institutions such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, General Motors, DTE Energy, Accenture, ACCESS, Detroit Fire Department, Detroit Police Department, College for Creative Studies, Wayne State University, YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, and many others. These partners provide job placements, program support, and community engagement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• One Summer Chicago: Chicago's city-coordinated summer youth employment initiative that places thousands of Chicago youth (ages 14-24) in paid summer jobs through employer partnerships and community-based providers—directly comparable to GDYT in target population, age range, funding model, and tiered placement structure.
• Urban Alliance: National nonprofit providing paid internships, mentoring, and work readiness training for high school youth from underserved communities across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable to GDYT in youth target demographic, paid internship structure, and corporate partnership-driven funding model.
• Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN): Workforce development intermediary managing Philadelphia's WorkReady summer youth employment program, placing thousands of Philadelphia youth in paid summer work experiences—directly comparable to GDYT in coordinating role, employer matching, and youth-employer brokering model.
• Boston Youth Summer Jobs Program: Boston's city-coordinated summer youth employment initiative matching Boston youth (ages 14-24) with paid summer work experiences through employer partnerships—directly comparable to GDYT in city-municipal operating model and target demographic.
• Los Angeles County Summer Youth Employment Program: County-administered summer youth employment program serving LA County youth with paid work experiences, work readiness training, and employer partnerships—closely comparable to GDYT in government-led workforce model and target youth demographic.
• NYC Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP): Run by the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development, SYEP is the largest summer youth employment program in the U.S., serving tens of thousands of NYC youth with paid summer work experiences and career readiness training—directly analogous to GDYT's model, just at city-government scale.

Broad incumbents

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit providing year-long training and corporate internships for low-income young adults (ages 18-24), serving thousands annually across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable to GDYT as a workforce-readiness nonprofit competing for similar youth and employer pipelines, though operating at a longer (12-month) program duration.
• JFF (Jobs for the Future): National nonprofit driving workforce development and economic mobility research, policy, and program implementation across the U.S. Comparable to GDYT as a major player in the youth workforce ecosystem, though operating primarily as a research/policy intermediary rather than a direct service provider.
• Genesys Works: National nonprofit providing high school youth from underserved communities with technical skills training and corporate summer internships across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable to GDYT as a youth workforce nonprofit with employer-partnership model, though operating as a multi-city organization with year-round programming.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training and career pathway support for adults from underserved communities across multiple U.S. cities. Comparable to GDYT as a workforce development nonprofit competing for similar employer and funder relationships, though focused on adult learners and IT training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grow Detroit’s Young Talent