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West Michigan Veterans

Service centers will offer workshops, resource fairs and hiring events with veteran focus

During the week of Nov. 6, West Michigan Works! service centers will honor those who served in the military by offering job search services and events with a focus on veterans.

Veterans Week Image for web“We serve veterans every day, but we want to set aside this special time around Veterans Day to highlight their service and
their specific career needs,” said Brittany Lenertz, West Michigan Works! regional service center director. “From offering coffee and displaying the flags of the Armed Forces in our centers to providing access to veteran-friendly employers, we want to show our gratitude to the men and women who served our country.”

Workshops
The week’s schedule of free workshops will include information to address veterans’ job search needs. For example, the resume writing workshop will help veterans convey their military experience with civilian language that hiring managers can easily understand.

“So many of the skills learned during military service transfer to civilian life—it’s all in the language used when you talk or write about them,” said Karen Riggs, a talent development instructor with West Michigan Works!.

Community Resources
Each service center will highlight community resources for veterans.  This may include anything from entrepreneurship workshops through the Small Business Development Center to assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Hiring Events
Veteran-friendly employers will be in the service centers as either an Employer of the Day or a part of a larger multi-employer hiring event.  The service center in northwest Grand Rapids will host two gold level veteran-friendly employers during the week: Consumers Energy and DTE Energy. Gold level status is awarded by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency to employers who have exemplary military veteran recruitment, training and retention practices.  As always, veterans and their spouses receive early access to Michigan Works! hiring events.

Veterans can participate in any of these activities by visiting a West Michigan Works! service center Nov. 6-9 (the service centers will be closed on Friday, Nov. 10).  Find a list of Veterans Week events HERE>.

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MLive: West Michigan Works! service centers giving a hand to those who served in the military