 Travis Mills with Pete Pare, Auta Main, Dawn Mealey and David Klein of the Department of Labor, Bureau of Employment Services
On September 25, 2014, the Maine Department of Labor co-hosted a conference to connect all of the organizations working to help connect our veterans with jobs and update them on recent changes to the program that will enhance the way services are delivered to our veterans. First Lady Ann LePage introduced Keynote speaker Travis Mills, a retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and wounded warrior.
Maine DOL, through the Jobs for Veterans’ State Grant (JVSG), provides resources and expertise, in the form of our Veterans Representatives in our CareerCenters, to assist and prepare veterans in obtaining meaningful careers and maximizing their employment opportunities. We help translate military skills into what a civilian employer is looking both on a resume and during an interview.
 Commissioner Jeanne Paquette welcomes First Lady Ann LePage to the podium.
About the MDOL
Veterans Team
Our team
includes a Veterans’ Program Manager and 15 Veterans’ Reps located at our 12
CareerCenters statewide (see the margin for contact information). We have
12 Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program Specialists who provide one-on-one
intensive services to veteran jobseekers with significant barriers to
employment. Our three Local Veterans’ Employment Representatives’ primary
function is to provide outreach to employers to coordinate job matching
opportunities for veterans. Veterans representatives work closely with
CareerCenter staff to provide employment services to ALL veteran jobseekers in Maine.
Ninety-five percent of our Vet Reps are veterans with disabilities
themselves. They understand the challenges faced by veterans and the
opportunities available to assist them in taking next steps toward
employment.
The latest
Census data indicates that Maine has the second-largest percentage of veterans
per capita. Last year, between our CareerCenters and the Maine Job Bank, we
served about 8,200 veterans, slightly more than 10 percent of the total
jobseekers we served.
“Sometimes veterans hesitate to come in and ask for help in
these programs, thinking that someone else is more deserving of this support,
and therefore try to go it alone,” said Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette.
“I urge you to help us connect our staff with veterans. We can make this
transition so much easier for them, we are here for them, and we don’t want
them getting lost while looking for work when we can make that path so much
smoother.”
 Veteran Richard Mariello of Old Orchard Beach speaks about the support he and his family received from Easter Seals Maine’s Veterans Count program while he was on active duty and after his return to civilian life.
AUGUSTA— The Maine Department of Labor announced Oct. 7 that it has won a $2 million grant to assist veterans who are transitioning to civilian life in rural areas of the state gain access to employment, healthcare and support services and resources. Partner agencies in the grant include DVEM and Easter Seals Maine. Northern Maine Development Commission will also receive funding due to the grant’s particular focus on Aroostook and Washington Counties.
“This grant will provide much-needed supports to our veterans, who have given our country so much,” said Governor Paul R. LePage. “Commissioner Paquette directed her staff to identify grants that could benefit our workforce development programs. This program is a beneficiary of her successful efforts and will do a great deal to help our veterans transition back into civilian life with a new career.”
The grant was awarded as part of the Rural Veterans Coordination Pilot (RVCP) from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Rural Health. Veterans Count, a program of Easter Seals Maine, provides military members, veterans and their families with emergency funding, counseling, legal assistance and other services when regular channels of assistance are not available.
Read more.
Brunswick
The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber and the Southern Midcoast CareerCenter are co-sponsoring the third annual Hiring Maine's Heroes job fair on Wednesday, November 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 2 Columbus Drive, Brunswick.
The job fair is open to the public; the first hour is dedicated to Veterans, service members and their families.
To honor our veterans, the fair will open to veterans, service members and their families at 10 a.m. and will feature an Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Statement of Support Signing hosted by Brigadier General Gerard Bolduc, Maine Air National Guard commander.The general public is welcome starting at 11 a.m.
Read more.
Portland
2014 Hiring Our Heroes Veterans Event
November 12, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fireside Inn & Suites
81 Riverside Drive, Portland, ME 04104
- 8:30 a.m. Employment Workshop
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hiring Fair
- 1 p.m. Lunch and Learn for Employers
This Call of Duty Endowment-, University of Phoenix-sponsored hiring event is being conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (DOL VETS), the Maine Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, The American Legion, Goodwill Industries International, NBC News, and other local partners.
Registration is required at http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/portland-me-0
Maine is now one of almost 20 states to participate in a new program for job seeking veterans. Maine’s veteran employment services will be participating in the Operation Opportunity program through Hilton Honors. With this program, if veterans have to travel for a job interview, they will now be able to access points by working with their CareerCenter, and those points can be used to pay for their stay in a Hilton Hotel.
This program is a part of Hilton’s Operation Opportunity initiative to provide support to United States military veterans and their families. In partnership with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and individual State Workforce Agencies, the Hilton Honors Military Program is donating points to eligible transitioning service members, veterans and military spouse. By becoming a Hilton Honors Military member, veterans will receive a 100,000 point donation to support travel related to their job search activities. There are currently 20 Hilton brand hotels in the state of Maine.
To sign up, contact your local CareerCenter.
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