Butzel Long joins Detroit Regional Chamber’s initiative to enhance the workforce-talent pipeline in Southeast Michigan

Law firm introduces tuition-assistance program to enable its staff to build upon skills and earn additional degrees and certificates

DETROIT, Mich. – Butzel Long is joining forces with 37 statewide and regional partners in government, business, education and philanthropy to support the launch of the Detroit Regional Talent Compact, a collective 10-year roadmap intended to enhance the workforce-talent pipeline in Southeast Michigan and reduce educational racial inequality. The initiative is in response to data revealed by the Detroit Regional Chamber’s State of Education Report last winter, calling for action to address educational deficits and move post-secondary educational attainment up to the best in class national standards.

“The business community should fully embrace and support the Compact and its goals to enhance regional competitiveness and meet the need for a higher-skilled workforce,” said Butzel Long Chairman Richard E. Rassel. “Butzel Long, in addition to our support of numerous regional educational efforts, is introducing a tuition-assistance program to enable our staff to upskill and earn added degrees and certificates.”

The Chamber and its collective-impact initiative to improve the pipeline of talent, referred to as Detroit Drives Degrees, have set a goal to increase post-secondary credential attainment to 60 percent and cut the racial-equity gap in half by 2030. According to the Chamber, per-capita income grows by $1,250  when bachelor’s degree attainment increases by only one percentage point. If the 2030 goal is achieved, more than 265,00 new degrees and credentials would be achieved in the Detroit area -- boasting an estimated return on investment (ROI) of $42 billion for the region.

The Regional Master Plan includes four key focus areas including post-secondary access, post-secondary success, adult-educational attainment, and talent preparation. It also identifies national best-practice strategies to implement in each area.

Rassel co-chairs The Detroit Drives Degrees Leadership Council, which is leading the project, with Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, M.D.

For more information, visit detroitchamber.com/compact.