It has been four years since our first meeting to discuss the concept and viability of setting an educational attainment goal for Oakland County.

I remember gathering at our Michigan Works! center in Southfield with  an impressive group of business, education, non-profit, labor and government leaders.  The meeting was led by three extraordinary thought leaders – County Executive Dave Coulter, Chief Deputy County Executive Hilarie Chambers and Jeff Donofrio, at the time Director of the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

I was in awe of the vision, passion and intentionality of the group. We were presented with some fantastic information – state and county data, statistics on the impact of post-secondary education on the economy, and research on national best practices on educational attainment. The room buzzed with questions, challenges, opportunities and strategies. 

Within a few hours, Oakland80 was born. Our group became the champions, visionaries, leaders and advocates of a goal of an 80 percent educational attainment rate. The energy in the room was contagious, but I was quietly freaking out. It was a VERY ambitious goal that would require a village of partners, transformational change, strategic investment, meaningful collaboration, and a lot of hard work and passion.

The good news is that I am not freaking out anymore. We have already made significant progress – jumping from 61% four years ago to 68.4% today. There is no doubt Oakland County will achieve its ambitious goal. We are inspiring our residents to truly believe that they can pursue and earn their degree or certificate. We are creating a culture where more people know a post-secondary education is possible for them.

Oakland80 is now a village of partners with an unwavering commitment to moving Oakland County residents forward in their education and careers. This is transformational change  - recognizing residents who need the most support and removing real barriers to post-secondary education for real people. Oakland80 is investing in our communities, residents, their families and the businesses who need a skilled and educated workforce.

It also is a true example of meaningful collaboration: recognizing the value that our partners bring, leveraging their expertise, avoiding duplication, and holding each other accountable for transformational and impactful change. Lastly, there has been a  lot of hard work and passion from the village of partners and our hardworking teams, including the Oakland80 Career and Education Navigators, Oakland County Michigan Works! staff, and our Oakland80 Administrator Rana Al-Igoe, to make our original vision a reality.

We are presenting educational opportunities for ALL residents, particularly those who do not have the financial means, family support or belief in themselves.  We are removing the barriers that prevent someone from enrolling or completing their education, including challenges related to  transportation, childcare, the cost of books and supplies and more. We are creating the next generation of workers that Oakland County employers need.

Thank you for being an Oakland80 partner, collaborator, and friend.

Pontiac Collective Impact Partnership Drives Economic Mobility in Oakland County

Since 2018, the Pontiac Collective Impact Partnership has been serving Pontiac youth and families by helping them reach common goals. The nine philanthropic partners and 31 Pontiac community stakeholders that make up this partnership are dedicated to creating a community made up of educated, informed and resilient residents.

“Our mission is to help improve the economic mobility of Pontiac residents by helping them upscale their talent and their educational opportunities,” said Executive Director Dr. Samino Scott, “Our role is to primarily serve as the convener and connect Pontiac residents to our regional partners that have great resources that have historically not reached the average youth or family in Pontiac."

The organization has taken a data-driven approach to community development. Using employment, education and graduation analysis, the Pontiac Collective Impact Partnership can pinpoint demographics that require additional support enrolling and completing post-secondary education. “Not only are we using data to support and identify people to focus our resources on, but we're also using data to determine the impact of our work,” Scott said.

One example of the success of the Pontiac Collective Impact Partnership is the city’s completion rate for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). “What we saw last year that concerned us was the FAFSA completion rate in Pontiac was down 27 percent,” Scott said. “With the work that we're doing with Oakland80, we're already up 10 percent from last year.”

In addition to year-round community outreach and support, the organization has partnered with the City of Pontiac and Oakland County Michigan Works! to offer summer work experiences to Pontiac youth. Eligible Pontiac employers invite youth into their facilities for hands-on career exploration and training with wages paid for by Oakland County Michigan Works! Through these work experiences, students gain valuable skills, explore areas of interest and earn a paycheck.

“This gave us an opportunity to really show Pontiac youth employment opportunities were available, and resources from Oakland County Michigan Works! were there to support them,” Scott said. “We started two years ago with just 70 participants and this year we've grown to 100 youth in the program.”

To increase awareness and meet with target populations, the Pontiac Collective Impact Partnership has an office inside the Oakland County Michigan Works! Office in the city. “Michigan Works! offers so many resources and support systems to Pontiac residents that they simply don't know about,” Scott said.  “So, it has benefited us tremendously to be in that facility and learn from what they do.”

Oakland80 and Oakland County Michigan Works! help future Healthcare Professional Achieve the Training Necessary to be Successful