The Detroit Region prepares top talent for your business

In today’s business world, talent is one of the most valuable resources for your company’s success. That’s why the Detroit Region actively invests in our local workforce, giving you access to high-quality talent trained in the skills you need. From digital technology to smart manufacturing, companies in the region can easily fill their talent gaps thanks to our large existing workforce and nationally acclaimed higher education.

Our region is home to a robust talent pipeline of world-class graduates. With 295 post-secondary institutions within a five-hour radius, the Detroit metro is near many of the United States’ leading colleges and universities. Our network of community colleges also regularly partners with local companies to develop new training programs–preparing talent with the skills they need to succeed.

Three university students (two boys and a girl) collaboration in front of a laptop, larger screen, and whiteboard

Kettering University GM Mobility Research Center, Genesee County

The Detroit Region is home to 34 colleges and universities and one of the best academic research clusters in the country. The University of Michigan is also ranked as the nation’s third-best public university with the third-best business school in the United States. 

Talent

Group of young multiracial business people are working in modern office. Freelancers in coworking place. Creative and stylish youth.

Our workforce is one of the largest and most affordable in the United States

The Detroit Region is home to a vast community of cost-effective talent. Local companies benefit from the second largest concentration of engineering talent in the U.S. as well as the most commercial and industrial designers in the country. And because of our low cost of living, our world-class talent is also more affordable for your business, costing 30% less than talent in coastal hubs like San Francisco and New York City.

  • The Detroit MSA population is the 14th largest metro in the U.S. with a civilian labor force of 2.6 million people–larger than the workforces of 28 other states.
  • Our workforce is a very diverse population with more than 475,000 foreign-born residents.
  • In the region, 90.6% of people who are 25 and older have obtained a high school degree, with 41.3% holding an associate’s degree or higher.
  • The Detroit Region’s millennial population is larger than Boston, Austin, Seattle, and San Francisco, with a population of nearly 1.1 million 20–34-year-olds.
  • Nearly 400,000 STEM workers and nearly 550,000 skilled trade workers are currently employed in the region. 
  • The region has the fifth largest talent pool working in research in the U.S., and nearly 80,000 people employed in computer and math occupations.

Education

African American teenage boy writes something in a notebook while studying in the campus library. An open laptop is on the table. He is wearing wireless headphones.
Over the Shoulder Shot of Engineer Working with CAD Software on Desktop Computer, Screen Shows Technical Drafts and Drawings. In the Background Engineering Facility Specialising on Industrial Design

The Detroit Region is one of the top academic research clusters in the U.S.

Our regional network of K-12 and higher education institutions offers a reliable pipeline of first-class talent to drive your future growth. The region is a hub for technical schools, community colleges, and nationally ranked universities, including the three tier-one universities that make up our University Research Corridor. 

  • More than 800,000 K-12 students attend 1,600 public and charter schools in the region, including one of the top high schools in the United States: the International Academy.
  • The region is home to 34 colleges and universities that produce 70,000 graduates annually.
  • In the region, 10 colleges and universities rank in the Top 10 nationally for a specific degree conferred.
  • The University of Michigan is ranked as the nation’s third-best public university, third-best business school, and sixth for its engineering, entrepreneurship, and computer systems programs.
  • More than 31,400 foreign students study at Michigan’s colleges and universities.
  • Community colleges in the Detroit Region educate nearly 121,000 students annually and work with local companies to develop customized workforce training programs.