$100,000 Donation Will Create Summer Jobs for Detroit Youth at PS&E and Partner Organizations Tom Gores Emphasizes Importance of Growth Opportunities and Life Skills Development for Detroit Youth
Tom Gores Emphasizes Importance of Growth Opportunities and Life Skills Development for Detroit Youth
The Detroit Pistons and Palace Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) announced today a $100,000 grant and partnership with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) to help Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s youth summer jobs program reach its goal of 8,000 jobs in 2016.
Financial commitments provided by Pistons owner Tom Gores, PS&E Vice Chairman Arn Tellem and the Detroit Pistons Foundation will support summer youth positions at PS&E and The Palace as well as placing youngsters in jobs with organizational partners Detroit PAL and SAY Detroit. The partnership will also include special “Pistons Days,” in which youngsters benefiting from PS&E’s involvement in the program will tour The Palace and receive behind the scenes career day information on job opportunities inside the sports and entertainment industry.
“Jobs teach kids responsibility, commitment and important lessons that will last a lifetime,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “By creating these summer opportunities, we’re also providing a safe environment for kids to earn money, continue learning and develop new skills. Supporting Detroit’s youth is a core part of our effort to inspire positive change throughout the community.”
The objectives for Grow Detroit’s Young Talent align directly with the Detroit Pistons’ collective vision to inspire youth and impact lives through education and opportunity. The six-week summer youth employment program combines work readiness training with on the job experience for Detroit youth ages 14-24. The program enters its second year this summer and is looking to expand job opportunities from nearly 5,600 a year ago to roughly 8,000 this summer. Eligible young people are recruited through local schools, community organizations and the city’s workforce development system.
“We’re pleased to partner with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent in creating summer jobs that help Detroit young recognize their talent and visualize their future,” said PS&E Vice Chairman Arn Tellem. “Tom and I believe in the importance of education and opportunity for young people and support Mayor Duggan’s efforts to develop and nurture successful adults.”
Youth participating in the GDYT program are supported throughout the summer by their assigned GDYT Youth Specialist who provides on-going training throughout the summer and helps the young employee have a successful summer in the workplace. Youth are matched with employers based on interest, ability and accessibility.
“Tom Gores, Arn Tellem and the Pistons have been making a real community impact in Detroit in a number of ways recently,” Mayor Mike Duggan said. “This generous donation to Grow Detroit’s Young Talent is just the latest and will provide an opportunity for many Detroit youths to have a meaningful summer work experience.”
Palace Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) is one of the premier sports/entertainment companies in the world that hosts, produces, and manages premier sporting and entertainment events in Michigan. Assets include the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, The Palace of Auburn Hills and DTE Energy Music Theatre. PS&E also operates the Meadow Brook Music Festival, Freedom Hill Amphitheatre and manages the basketball operations for the NBA Development League’s new Grand Rapids affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive. Palace Sports & Entertainment utilizes The Palace of Auburn Hills, the Detroit Pistons, DTE Energy Music Theatre, Meadow Brook Music Festival and Freedom Hill as a community asset to host over 250 events and 2.5 million fans annually. The company delivers world-class entertainment in state-of-the-art facilities that provide premium hospitality and flawless operational execution. The Detroit Pistons are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. With over 2,300 regular-season and playoff victories, the club has celebrated three NBA Championships (1989, 1990, 2004), five NBA Finals appearances (1988, 1989, 1990, 2004, 2005) and 11 Eastern Conference Finals appearances. The Palace recently won the Michigan AIA 25-year Award for architectural prowess and has been voted Arena of the Year by Performance Magazine eight times in its history, twice by Pollstar magazine and is listed annually among North America’s top-grossing arenas. DTE, Meadow Brook and Freedom Hill are consistently ranked as three of the top summer concert venues and praised by world-class musical artists for acoustics, operational functionality and fan experience. Following its purchase by owner Tom Gores in 2011, PS&E’s venues, hospitality spaces and operations have been transformed to reflect a culture of innovation and industry-leading thought.
Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (GDYT) is a six-week summer youth employment program that combines work readiness training with one the job experience designed to prepare 8,000 Detroiters, ages 14-24, for Detroit’s workforce. With the help of Mayor Mike Duggan and Detroit’s philanthropic and corporate leaders, the program is expanding to employ more young people, provide stronger work readiness training, more employer support and better coordination across summer job opportunities in Detroit. For more information, visit www.gdyt.org.
