DTE Energy joins The Valuable 500 to help drive disability inclusion

DTE is the third company headquartered in Michigan to join The Valuable 500 and put disability on its business agenda

Detroit, Jan. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DETROIT, Jan. 29, 2021 – Today, DTE announced that it will accelerate its commitment to support and empower people with disabilities in the workforce by joining The Valuable 500, a coalition of the world's largest companies dedicated to promoting disability inclusion through business leadership and opportunity.

"At DTE, we understand that all people thrive and succeed when they feel included, welcome and safe,” said Jerry Norcia, president and CEO, DTE Energy. “We're proud and excited to join with others to form The Valuable 500 as we continue to drive inclusion and empower people living with disabilities with support and opportunities in our company and our communities."

As part of its pledge to The Valuable 500, DTE will expand its partnership with Project Search, a  program dedicated to helping youth and young adults with disabilities gain meaningful skills and employment as they transition out of public schools, across Michigan. The company will strengthen its support of its Abilities in Motion (AIM) employee resource group, be a voice and champion for people with disabilities and continue to explore and challenge systemic barriers to employment. The DTE Energy Foundation will continue to seek opportunities to provide financial support to the Autism Alliance of Michigan (AAoM) and other disability employment related non-profit organizations.

“We know that people with disabilities face bias, unique barriers to social and economic opportunities, and are disproportionately unemployed,” said David Meador, vice chairman and chief administrative officer at DTE. "To build an inclusive and diverse workforce – one of DTE’s top priorities – we have to ensure the fair and equal treatment of all people. By joining The Valuable 500, we’ll accelerate our work to recruit, employ and empower people with disabilities and encourage more Michigan businesses to do the same.”

More than 1.85 billion people across the world face some form of disability, while only 4% of companies are focused on making measurable efforts to include people with disabilities in their workplace, according to the Global Economics Disability Report. Further, more than 80% of disabilities are acquired between the ages of 18 and 64 – the workforce age.

“DTE’s decision to be a leader in Michigan and join The Valuable 500 is a significant step toward creating real change and more meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities in our state,” said Colleen Allen, CEO of AAoA. “With so many people in the disability community not participating in the workforce, we are hopeful that more Michigan companies will come forward and sign the pledge.” 

Learn more about DTE’s employment opportunities and how we are working to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.

About DTE Energy
DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.2 million customers in Southeast Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE portfolio includes energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects; renewable natural gas; natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage; and energy marketing and trading. As an environmental leader, DTE utility operations will reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions by more than 80 percent by 2040 to produce cleaner energy while keeping it safe, reliable and affordable. DTE Electric and Gas aspire to achieve net zero carbon by 2050. DTE is committed to serving with its energy through volunteerism, education and employment initiatives, philanthropy and economic progress. Information about DTE is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com.