The core focus of our mission at the Rocket Community Fund is to ensure that every American has access to safe and stable housing – because housing is the foundation for success. And we build upon that foundation through dedicated efforts to create new access to opportunity – through career advancement, workforce development, and bridging the digital divide.
But just like the digital divide – a gap in digital resources, access and training which exists due to systemic barriers for communities of color – there is an “opportunity divide” whereby Detroiters have been largely excluded from opportunities to advance their careers due to discriminatory hiring practices. “We are one of the few corporate social arms in Detroit that explicitly focuses on bridging the talent need of the business through community investments,” said Jonathan Pulley, Senior Program Manager for Career Education on the Rocket Community Fund’s Education and Employment team. “We want to serve our adult learners 18 to 29, while also increasing access to jobs at the Rocket family of companies.”
Recently, the Rocket Community Fund invested in Year Up to help bridge the opportunity divide. Year Up is a tuition-free job training program which aligns the career aspirations of young talent with leading organizations, and we’re supporting this career accelerator to connect young adults in metro Detroit with in-demand careers at Rocket Companies.
Earlier this week, we introduced Year Up with a small celebration at our headquarters, in advance of the July program kickoff. But it was much more than an event, as the 2023 Year Up cohort participants – four of which will be placed at Rocket Companies – were able to meet with Year Up and Rocket team members and leaders, learn about our business, and connect with potential mentors.
Building A Foundation for Opportunity
Our Education and Employment team is dedicated to removing the systemic barriers that have prevented Detroiters from accessing pathways to career development – but we can’t do it alone. We frequently partner with Rocket’s Talent Acquisition team to ensure that Detroit talent has every opportunity to gain the skills, experience and support they need to thrive. Our collaborative efforts have helped move the needle on partnerships like Urban Alliance (UA), which supports Detroit high school and college students with paid internships, mentoring and business exposure. Now in its second year, our annual Career Connections event also introduced Detroiters to career and networking opportunities at Rocket Companies.
Pulley led coordinating the Year Up program at Rocket Companies and is excited about the doors it will open for Detroiters. “This is an innovative solution to solve talent hiring needs through community partnership,” he said. “It’s also the first partnership with Rocket where we work to hire alumni on the back end of the internship.” Once the program concludes, the interns who pass banker training may be offered full time employment; those that don’t will be offered to retake the training or have the potential to transition into a client support role.
For Marvin Logan, Director of our Education and Employment team, the benefits of collaborating on this program also extend to other areas of the business as well. “The Education & Employment Team is incredibly excited to continue building innovative partnerships that exemplify how public and private collaboration can deliver meaningful and lasting results that provide access to new careers with wages that will allow for healthy income generation and the development of critical skills,” he said. “It also creates exposure to the possibilities of homeownership, which supports Rocket’s larger mission to ‘help everyone home.’ I’m personally excited to see how this opportunity will evolve.”
Partnership With Talent Acquisition Supports Shared Vision
The Year Up program is only possible thanks to the collaboration of Rocket Companies’ Talent Acquisition team, who share our vision for a more equitable workforce. “The goal of Year Up aligns with Rocket’s Talent Acquisition team because both sides are looking to be a resource in the city of Detroit to help Detroiters find a career pathway that allows them to find success,” said DJ Bridges, Team Leader of Talent Acquisition. “Year Up and Rocket also align when it comes to the mission of hiring diverse talent because we as a company understand how important it is to have diverse team members as it drives innovation.”
Like our UA internship, the interns participating in Year Up will be paid for their work. But the training they receive, the skills they build, the connections they make and the 1:1 mentorship with Rocket team members will be invaluable. “The partnership between Rocket Community Fund and Rocket Companies Talent Acquisition is special because we have team members who care about helping Detroit talent reach their goals, while also supporting the city of Detroit and its growth,” Bridges said. “When you combine those two things, we have an immense opportunity to impact the outcome!”
