Michigan Works! is the first unified workforce development system in the country and is an instrumental partner for developing Michigan’s economic future.

Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! is one of 16 Michigan Works! agencies across the state. Each is locally responsive and demand driven.

1. Assist employers in finding and retaining qualified employees
2. Assure that the labor force meets the needs of employers

In doing so, they make a significant impact on the region including Saginaw, Bay, Midland, Gratiot and Isabella counties. Just in the past year, Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works has:

• Hosted 219 single company job fairs in our five service centers, helping employers recruit and retain qualified talent more efficiently
• Assisted employers in filling more than 8,500 job openings, saving hiring/recruiting expenses (as much as $5,500 per hire)
•  Reached nearly 20,000 Facebook users monthly with job leads, extending an employer’s recruiting reach in impactful ways
• Helped 54 companies secure more than $2.5 million in skilled trades training funds to upgrade talent skills

Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works! offers dedicated Business Services Team representatives and other on-demand services, such as Fast Start training, to help manufacturers successfully meet the talent demands of the global marketplace. 

If you are a job seeker who is in search of career opportunities or would like to learn more about training opportunities, visit: https://www.michiganworks.com/ today. 

You can also call TOLL-FREE 1-800-285-WORK (9675) or E-mail your questions to: webmaster@michiganworks.com to see if you qualify these opportunities. 

A city known for being a part of the “fruit bolt” of Michigan where the best quality fruit is grown, is also the root of Angela Peat, a true success story. Angela Peat grew up in Paw Paw, Michigan where she was all work and very little play but when she had the chance, she enjoyed one of her favorite places, South Haven beach. Because of her value for education, Peat took college credits in High School, which awarded her many opportunities in college.

Angela attended Kalamazoo College, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. With her interest in the Italian language and creative knack, Peat set off to pursue her dream of living in Italy and completed her thesis in Rome studying black and white photography. In addition to studying in Italy, Angela completed programs in Trinidad and Tobago. After leaving abroad and participating in a Michigan State graduate school informational, Angela’s “ears perked up” when she heard that Michigan State’s Human Resources program was third in the nation and lead to paid internships with fortune 500 companies. While at MSU, Peat combined her eagerness to learn with her love for traveling and worked for several companies outside of Michigan. She worked at Intel Corporation in Ireland, an HR company in Australia, Alcoa in Pittsburgh and Shell in Houston.

“Traveling abroad is amazing and there are so many beautiful places in the world. I never expected that traveling would help me realize what a beautiful place I grew up in. Every time I left, I returned with a new appreciation for Michigan. ” said Angela.

When she returned to the U.S., Angela moved to Washington D.C. and worked in Organizational Change Management consulting for eight and a half years. While there, her desire to learn turned into a passion to problem solve while working with a multitude of clients including the State Department, Air Force and National Science Foundation among other Federal and State organizations. For years, Angela was the go-to person for several clients but her heart longed for home and family. Along with missing family, Peat liked the idea of using her skills to help her home state.

“As a human being, you can’t expect something to get better if you’re not willing to make an effort to help.” 

With help and encouragement from her brother, Dan, Angela applied and was invited to DreamJob hosted by Pure Michigan Talent Connect. DreamJob was a talent attraction event that connected talent to employers in Michigan. The event was hosted at Ford Field and included an opening ceremony with children choir singing “I believe I can fly”, a panel of “movers and shakers” trying to improve the state and 1200 job openings. Angela surpassed the screening of 4600 resumes submitted and 1600 resumes accepted. Angela interviewed with a lot of companies and was drawn to the city of Ann Arbor.

“Ann Arbor has a lot of the big city amenities without the big city hassle. It’s such a lively town. Technology is huge here and it’s a city that says ‘yes’ to taking a risk.” “Thank you Pure Michigan Talent Team! I want you to know how grateful I am for DreamJob and what it’s done for my life.”

Angela not only made a home in Ann Arbor but Pillar Technology became the home of her creativity and professional experience. Pillar Technology is a company full of smart people who use design thinking to help define and approach problems. The development artisans use Agile development techniques and transform organizations’ problems using technology. As a Delivery Lead, Peat acts as a project manager, coach and guide. “It’s hard work but it’s a lot of fun. It’s easily the best job I’ve ever had.”

To find out about the next "big event", please subscribe to this newsletter and check out MiTalent.org for the latest job and career opportunities in Michigan.