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TROY — On June 23, 90 students from the Detroit-based Developing KIDS program spent the day at Kelly Services’ headquarters in Troy to learn about the workplace, how they work, and how to land and maintain a career.
Developing KIDS is short for “Developing Kingdoms in Different Stages” and was created to provide young people with the opportunities and the know-how to become self-sufficient and prepare them for the working world.
“We serve youths from age 5 to age 24,” said Kimberly Johnson, the founder, president and CEO of Developing KIDS. “We support them from when they start school to when they finish their education. We have an over 99% high school graduation rate for kids in our program. We continue this aid when they attend their first years of university, college or trade school.”
The trip to Kelly meant the students were able to speak with professionals and learn from them. This covered everything from educational paths and learning requirements to job interview etiquette.
“It’s a series of workshops. The kids are grouped into different teams, and they flow from one workshop to another. They also had lunch and got to interact with the Corvette Club and check out some of their cars. It’s skills-based programming, plus fun, with a scholarship opportunity at the end,” explained Vanessa Williams, the senior vice president and general counsel for Kelly. “It’s a great chance to introduce them to things like networking, branding, and giving them chances to meet people in our organization, like some of our executives. It’s really a great partnership to touch kids.”
Olivier Thirot, the chief financial officer of Kelly Services, spoke to the students and said that they were doing the most important step in securing a successful future: investing in themselves.
“It helps them learn how to present themselves and sell themselves. You need to sell yourself, not only for a job, but also for many things in your life. The more they can learn about that, the more confident they can be.”
He presented four of the students with scholarships at the end of the day. All the Developing KIDS students in a college undergraduate program could apply for the scholarships. The top selectees were then interviewed by a board of Kelly executives.
“We had a team to select the best and most interesting students for the scholarships,” said Thirot. “We have four winners, the first two getting $10,000, and the third and fourth get $5,000. We also will help them up through the end of their undergraduate studies. It’s a longtime commitment on our part, and it’s something we will do each year. … We also offer chances for all the students the opportunity for internships so they can prepare themselves for their futures, earn a little money, and learn how to work in a professional environment.”
The first three students who received the scholarships were Chaya Bantom, who received $5,000; Taleia Butler, who received $5,000; and Ariel Carter, who received $10,000.
Kion Weaver was the final student who received a scholarship, taking home $10,000. He said the scholarship will help him achieve more and help him take the next steps of his life.
“I want to thank everybody who believed in me and helped me pursue greatness,” he remarked. “Since I received the scholarship, I am now planning on going into the master’s program for business administration at Oakland University, where I am now a junior. I hope this will also let me branch out and do more in the community.”
He added that even without the scholarship, Developing KIDS has helped him more than he could describe.
“It’s truly a blessing to receive this opportunity,” said Weaver. “I couldn’t have done it without Kelly or without Developing KIDS; I’ve been in the program since I was 8 years old. I went through rough times growing up, but I can finally advocate for my community and help future generations be better and be their true selves.”
The partnership with Kelly began with a personal connection between the Developing KIDS team and the company.
“My husband, who is now on our board of directors but was not when we started this program, was employed here at Kelly,” said Johnson. “He shared what he was a part of at Developing KIDS and how he was involved in community service efforts around Detroit, and some introductions were made.”
She added that the work Kelly does with the students perfectly matches the mission her organization tries to accomplish every time they work with the youth in the program.
“We have a workforce development program; however, this is the first time we have had to come and visit on-site for a business, especially one the size of Kelly. We had professionals talking with them and interacting with them. It’s not just talking about careers and professional development, either. It’s also about just building a rapport with them. … The first year we did this partnership with Kelly was 2019, and the kids who went that first time are still talking about it. They remember the people they spoke with here.”
Many of the students expressed their excitement at what they learned by the end of the day.
“I hope they take away that nothing is out of reach for them and that they have the ability to do anything they want to do,” said Williams. “I spoke to some of them during lunch, and some wanted to be lawyers. Some wanted to go into the theater and be writers. They should be able to go after what they want, and we need organizations like Developing KIDS to help them do that.”
