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 Wal-mart, the world's largest retailer, has announced plans to
hire more than 100,000 veterans over the next five years. "Hiring a
veteran can be one of the best decisions any of us can make,” said William S.
Simon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart U.S. “These are leaders with
discipline, training and a passion for service.”
For the New York Times article on the Wal-Mart announcement, click here.
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Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) - In January, Congress voted to extend the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior tax credits - a federal tax incentive available to employers for hiring veterans and individuals from other target groups that consistently face barriers to employment.
You'll want to make sure potential employers are aware of this valuable perk for putting a veteran on the payroll.
Download a WOTC Cheat Sheet for additional details. To see if you are eligible, visit here.
For an Army Times article on the tax credits, visit here.
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Vets to Ag is an initiative started in 2009 by Michigan State University’s
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in partnership with the Michigan Veterans'
Services Division. The innovative program
was developed to prepare homeless veterans for jobs in agriculture.
Agriculture is one of the fastest growing
industries in Michigan, contributing $91.4 billion annually to the state's
economy - an increase of more than 50 percent from 2004 to 2010 – and Michigan is
second only to California in the diversity of its agricultural products. Vets
to Ag is designed to help both veterans and Michigan’s growing agricultural
industry, providing tailored training programs to meet the specific needs of hiring
employers.
For the class featured in the photo, Vets to Ag worked with the
Plainwell site of JBS, the largest meat processor in the world, to train
veterans in meat processing and packaging. The intense 6-week residential program provides veterans with classroom
instruction in the morning and hands-on learning in the afternoon. The first
four weeks of training take place at the JBS facility in Plainwell. In the last two weeks, veterans train at MSU’s
meat labs on the East Lansing campus. JBS
has made a commitment to hire every veteran who graduates from this Vets to Ag
training program.
Joe Braunsdorf (front row, third from left) is blogging his experience. To follow and encourage Joe, visit his blog. Click here to learn more about Vets to Ag.
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Last week General Robert Smith, Director of Michigan Veterans’ Services Division, presented certificates and appreciation coins to 36th District Court Judge Leonia Lloyd and Debra Gatson, the court's Director of Probation Division.
In recognizing their commitment, General Smith praised Lloyd and Gatson for the unprecedented creativity and innovation they bring to their efforts to help troubled veterans in the Detroit area.
"When I put veterans in regular court, sometimes it doesn't help," said Judge Lloyd. "Veterans Court develops a personalized program to help these veterans pay their debt and move forward to live as successful and productive citizens in their communities."
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Profiles of
the men and women of the Veterans' Services Division of the state of
Michigan's Workforce Development Agency, working every day to help
veterans find employment and Michigan employers acquire the talent they
need to grow and thrive.
 I grew up in Sault Sainte Marie, the second child of college professors. I was immersed in the academic culture growing up but always felt a little out of place there. Following graduation from high school, I went to Lake Superior State University - repeatedly. After changing majors three times and still not having a clue what to do with my life I left college and decided to look at joining the military. Needless to say, my parents were not happy about that but I was determined to find a different path.
While researching the various services I discovered the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program and thought that would give me the challenge I was seeking and enlisted in November of 1981. Being the first person in my family on either side to ever join the service, I was determined to make my family proud. Continue reading Mike's story...
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 Military Kids Connect (MKC) is a safe website for kids in military families. The site is divided in to separate sections based on age: kids 6-8, tweens 9-12, and teens 13-17. Kids create a login and password to play games, keep a scrapbook, watch videos, create their own avatar, and have their own mailbox. The site includes resources for parents and educators as well. Click here to explore MKS and share with other military families.
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 - Many of our nation’s veterans - from those who served in World War
II to those involved in current conflicts - return not only with physical
wounds but also mental health issues they may not recognize. Make the Connection is an effort by
the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to connect veterans and their
friends and families with information, resources, and solutions to issues
affecting their lives.
- The Michigan Department of Treasury has new information on The
Homestead Tax Credit for disabled veterans and others for the 2012 tax
year.
- The
Military OneSource Free Online Tax Filing Service is now open. The
free online tax preparation service - H&R Block at Home Basic – is
available to service members and their families. Registration at the site is required, which will allow you to login and access the Online Tax Filing Service.
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Thank you for your service to this great country! Are you part of Michigan Veterans' Services Division Facebook Family?
Check it out and become an active member by clicking 'like'. --------->>
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