Welcome to the Veterans’ Employment Services (VES) Newsletter. Our mission is to assist you and your family secure meaningful careers in Michigan.

The concept of veterans helping veterans is a trademark of the VES team and one of the keys to its success. Veterans face many challenges when transitioning out of the military – finding meaningful employment should not be one of them.

• Veterans in need of employment assistance should contact the nearest Michigan Works! One-Stop Service Center by calling 800-285-WORKS (9675) or visiting MichiganWorks.org.
• More information about Veterans’ Employment Services is available at Michigan.gov/VES.
• Register today and start your job search at Pure Michigan Talent Connect at MiTalent.org.

On November 10, 2021, U.S. Marines around the globe celebrated a 246-year legacy of battlefield prowess defined by courage, discipline, loyalty, perseverance, adaptability, leadership, and warfighting innovation.

The annual birthday message delivered by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David H. Berger, and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sgt. Maj. Troy Black, acknowledged the generation of Marines who joined after the September 11 attacks, who later served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and who now approach their retirement milestone. It also highlighted the culture of innovation being cultivated by Marine leaders to enable the Marine Corps to remain America’s force in readiness — prepared to fight and win in every clime and place. Watch the video here.

Join us for the next Employment Readiness Series on December 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Veteran Career Advisor Brian Strong will lead a presentation about exploring your career options, translating your military experience to civilian, negotiation salaries, networking and much more!

Register for the event here.

The Employment Readiness Series is brought to you by a partnership between the Michigan Veterans' Employment Services and the Michigan National Guard Family Programs. The partnership ignites the potential of our stakeholders through weekly tips and monthly presentations. 

Next4Vets is a custom leadership program for women veterans that helps them accelerate and advance their careers by successfully leveraging their military experience within a corporate setting. The program is free for participants due to the generous support of corporations and foundations. Read more at Next4Vets™ - Inforum Michigan

Pat Muoio – Local Veterans Employment Representative, Traverse City

How has your military experience helped you in your position as a Local Veterans Employment Representative (LVER)?

I had the honor of serving in the Air Force for 23 years, where I served as an Enlisted and Officer Recruiter, Flight Chief, Inspector General, and Production Superintendent. Through each of these roles I learned countless lessons such as:

1. The importance of building trust and rapport with job seekers, employers and partners in creating win-win scenarios.
2. More often than not you can’t achieve success alone. For instance, this team includes the veterans we serve, Veteran Career Advisors as well as partners such as Michigan Works! and other veteran organizations.
3. How to effectively work under stress and manage expectations.
4. Lastly, that is not about me, but the veterans I serve!   

What should Veterans expect when they meet with a LVER?

All Veterans’ Employment Services employees are veterans themselves and thus understand the struggles of transitioning from military service to the civilian sector. We wore the boots and know firsthand the struggles and ways to overcome them. It’s our priority to serve our brothers and sisters in Arms by providing the respect each has earned! 

What resource do you recommend to Veterans seeking employment? 

There are so many resources available, however the one that I most often recommend is connecting with your local Michigan Works! agency. They have a magnitude of resources available to assist job seekers. It’s crucial that you notify them you served in the military so they can refer you to a Veteran Career Advisor or LVER, pending qualifications.      

We are extremely proud to have earned the distinction of being a Michigan Veteran-Friendly Employer. The process was very easy and well worth the effort, especially with the outstanding support of the Veterans Employment Services team. They guided us through the process and were very responsive to our questions. 

After being designated a Bronze Level Veteran-Friendly Employer we were presented with immediate opportunities, including participation at the Veteran-Friendly Employers Innovation Conference. The conference provided us with a number of networking opportunities and a tremendous amount of information and resources that will help us to hire, train and retain military veterans in our workforce. 

At Team Elmer’s we know that building better communities requires integrity, an unwavering commitment to quality, and exceptional service. We also know that building and supporting many of the largest and most complex construction projects in the region starts with hiring the best candidates. Military veterans make up more than 10% of our workforce because they share these same values and possess many of the skills that are essential to the success of our company. 

As we continue to grow our team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals, we often look to veterans to fill critical positions across all our divisions. Veterans are natural leaders who are self-motivated, team oriented and work extremely well under pressure. They are highly adaptable and have a proven record of learning new skills with ease, many of which are readily transferable to the construction industry. Most importantly, though, is their respect for accountability, standards and safety. 

Whether you are a transitioning military member or a veteran looking for a new opportunity, consider joining our team. Submit an application through TeamElmers.com/careers or contact our Human Resources Department at 231-943-3077.

Herman Remus had owned a small garage and been a tow truck driver for 20 years before losing his license and business by driving under the influence. While saving to get his license back, Herman tried to get his life back on track by pursuing a degree in Health and Human Services using the Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP).

Unfortunately, Herman was forced to leave the program to take care of his ailing mother. Instead, he received a certificate from the National Institute of Technology. Not to be deterred, Herman applied to and was accepted at the Wayne County Truck Driving School. However, the school shortly closed due to COVID and the death of Wayne County Executive Benny Napoleon, who was instrumental in the funding process.

Herman then came to Michigan Works! on August 11 looking to connect with the WIOA program for funding for truck driving school. Shortly afterward, he received a call from the Wayne County Truck Driving School indicating they’re reopened, and he promptly rejoined the program.

Despite completing his degree and receiving a BSW from Wayne State University, Herman’s passion is being out on the road. Due to his perseverance, Herman completed the Wayne County Truck Driving School on November 12 and got his license back. He now works for Roehl Transport in Gary, Indiana.