When LaRico Andres looks back on his journey—from pausing college in his 20s to becoming an engineer and Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering—he credits one pivotal discovery: Focus: HOPE.
“I didn’t see myself being here,” LaRico shared, reflecting on his early uncertainty. “A lot of us from Detroit are brilliant, but we just haven’t been introduced to opportunities that show us what’s possible.”
That opportunity came when LaRico was studying at Henry Ford Community College and exploring a future in the trades. After mentioning his interest in becoming an electrician, one of his professors pointed him toward Focus: HOPE—a Detroit-based nonprofit organization that provides holistic support for residents seeking to jumpstart their careers.
LaRico enrolled in Focus: HOPE’s pre-apprenticeship program and eventually secured a role as a journeyman instrumentation technician apprentice at Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA). There, he found an environment that both challenged and inspired him. “I got to walk into a place where everyone was smarter than me—and I loved that,” he said. “Every day was a challenge to rise to their level.”
The apprenticeship didn’t just offer technical training—it built confidence. While still an apprentice, LaRico’s supervisor encouraged him to apply for a newly created engineer position. At first, he hesitated. “I didn’t think I was qualified,” he admitted. “But she told me, ‘You need to apply for this.’ So, I did.”
He got the job.
Focus: HOPE’s use of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM) initiative has been instrumental in strengthening Detroit’s workforce. Through TPM, the organization helped launch the Water Treatment and Wastewater Recovery Services Collaborative an employer-led effort to expand pathways in critical infrastructure roles.
By bringing together local utilities and training providers, Focus: HOPE co-designed competency-based, earn-and-learn programs that align directly with employer needs—one of which propelled LaRico’s career forward. TPM tools helped map talent flows, close training gaps, and strengthen connections between classrooms and job sites.
This collaborative model not only led to successful hires like LaRico but also institutionalized a community-wide commitment to equity and opportunity in the skilled trades. Today, LaRico is a full-time engineer at GLWA—one of the largest water authorities in the nation—and a Ph.D. candidate in electrical, electronics, and computer engineering at the University of Michigan–Dearborn. His research explores energy justice, redlining, and digital infrastructure disparities in Detroit. One of his projects maps how redlined neighborhoods overlap with power outages and limited access to electric vehicle charging stations. “You can see inequity on the screen,” he explained. “That’s the power of data.”
LaRico credits Focus: HOPE as the launchpad that made it all possible. “I’ve done internships, won awards, presented at Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) conferences,” he said. “But it all started with a place like Focus: HOPE seeing something in me.”
That investment in potential now multiplies outward. LaRico mentors students through Focus: HOPE, encourages earn-and-learn pathways, and plans to start a nonprofit introducing Detroit youth to energy systems and sustainable technology. “I want kids to know there’s power in their curiosity,” he said. “And that they don’t have to leave their communities to make an impact.”
For the TPM National Learning Network, LaRico’s story demonstrates the transformative power of aligned workforce systems. Apprenticeship programs like Focus: HOPE don’t just prepare people for jobs—they help individuals reimagine what’s possible, equipping them to succeed and lead in their communities.
“I’m just getting started,” LaRico said. “And I’ve got Focus: HOPE, GLWA, and Detroit behind me every step of the way.”
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