Braille Literacy Month is celebrated each January to recognize the braille reading system’s impact on individuals who are blind or visually impaired and to call attention to the invaluable services and resources that enable Michiganders to learn and enhance their reading skills. 

The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons, housed within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment and Training, facilitates various braille services and resources in the state. They also offer courses on braille through their Training Center in Kalamazoo. 

Michigan’s Braille and Talking Book Library (BTBL) offers audio and braille books to individuals who are unable to use standard print materials. A part of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, the BTBL and its network of Advisory and Outreach Centers serves people with visual and physical disabilities by offering access to more than 23,000 braille and 115,000 audio book titles - right to your door. 

For more information on the BSBP Training Center, visit Michigan.gov/BSBP. To contact the Braille and Talking Book Library, visit Michigan.gov/BTBL.

The Michigan Department of Corrections is currently accepting two years of honorable service or good standing in lieu of the 15-college credit requirement. Military personnel can receive college credit for their military training by obtaining a Joint Service Transcript. Learn how to obtain a JST here. 

The department is currently looking to fill several Officer, Parole and Probation Agent, Healthcare, and many other positions. Each prison operates like a small city so there are needs for a wide array of positions from plumbers, electricians, and maintenance workers to teachers, food service workers, counselors, accountants, mental health professionals, dental assistants, librarians, secretaries, and more.

Explore open positions at Michigan.gov/Corrections/Careers, or attend one of the upcoming recruiting events.

Upcoming Recruiting Events

Baraga Correctional Facility
February 1, 2023
Jill Salomon, Recruitment Analyst E
SalomonJ@michigan.gov, P:517-249-4119

Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility
February 2, 2023
Chantel Jones, Recruitment Analyst E
JonesC81@michigan.gov P:517-230-8432

Chippewa (URF) and Kinross (KCF) Correctional Facilities
February 22, 2023
Jill Salomon, Recruitment Analyst E
SalomonJ@michigan.gov, P:517-249-4119

Alger Correctional Facility
February 23, 2023
Jill Salomon, Recruitment Analyst E
SalomonJ@michigan.gov, P:517-249-4119

On National Women in Apprenticeship Day (Nov. 17), U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su visited the Hospitality Training Academy in Los Angeles to see how its Registered Apprenticeship programs are providing workers – especially women of color – the training and skills they need to secure good union jobs.

Deputy Secretary Su engaged with students in the academy’s Line Cook Apprenticeship Program and heard from the apprentices about their experiences. The program offers classroom instruction and hands-on work in a fully equipped commercial kitchen.

“President Biden has delivered historic investments in our nation’s workforce system, a vital part of the nation’s infrastructure,” said Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su. “Registered Apprenticeship is one of the innovative and time-tested superhighways in the workforce development infrastructure, particularly for communities who have been excluded from good jobs for far too long.”

Read more about Deputy Secretary Su's visit. And learn about Registered Apprenticeships in Michigan at Michigan.gov/Apprenticeship.

Tailor Your Resume to Navigate the Applicant Tracking System

Content adapted from JobSeekersEdge

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used by most employers and job boards to screen resumes and identify the most qualified applicants. Resumes are scanned and stored in a database where algorithms are used to rank the resume based on how closely it fits the job description. The ATS is specifically looking for keyword matches from the job description.

A human decision-maker may never see your resume if you are using the same version for every job application. Perhaps unfair, but companies may receive thousands or tens of thousands of applicants for each job opening.

Using AI based ATS systems to your advantage

Forget fancy graphics, colors, and fonts. A simple format with the right content will move you into the first round with a recruiter or hiring executive. Most importantly:  

• Tailor your resume to the position by addressing the primary responsibilities identified in the job description
• Keywords and phrases are essential for the machine that will be scanning your resume.
• More experienced professionals may need a two-page resume to adequately convey their background and experience
• Don’t try to cram more words into less space – edit and then edit again

Find more tips at JobSeekersEdge.com. 

Time is running out to sign up for a scholarship for the new Google Career Certificates through the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment and Training.

The Google Career Certificate program can help you get on the fast track to a competitively paid job in a high-growth field. You don’t need relevant experience or a degree to complete this flexible, online job training. Just put the skills, passion, and ambition you already have to work.

• Explore what the program has to offer at grow.google/certificates. Learn more about how the Google Career Certificates work to put you on the path to in-demand jobs.
• Learn how you can earn a Google Career Certificate for free by contacting your local Michigan Works! office at MichiganWorks.org.

Designed by Google, this self-paced, online training program can prepare you for careers in the high-growth fields of project management, user experience (UX) design, data analytics, and IT support. And with under 10 hours spent studying a week, you can be prepped for a new career in under six months. Once you graduate from the Google Career Certificate program, you can connect directly with over 150 top U.S. employers to jump-start your job search.

There are over 1.27 million job openings across Certificate fields and the demand is growing. Earn a credential and stand out to employers with a Google Career Certificate.

After receiving his AAT Mechanical Engineering Technology degree in May 2022 from Gogebic Community College through the Veteran Readiness & Education program (VR&E), U.S. Army National Guard veteran Stephen LaCourt was referred to VES staff to begin his job search. 

Stephen worked with Veterans' Career Advisor Will Ennis to learn about eBenefits, the Houghton County VSO, Pure Michigan Talent Connect (MiTalent.org) and other job search resources/platforms. VCA Will and Stephen also worked together to update Stephen's resume and prepare him for work. 

Then Stephen began working with Local Veterans' Employment Representative (LVER) Kendal Kettle to explore local opportunities. LVER Kettle used her relationship with several employers to also advocate on Stephen's behalf. 

Within a few short months, Stephen began working as a Designer at GD Engineering in Houghton. Stephen is earning a competitive wage and is able to use is degree in this new job.

This booklet provides information about benefits and services from federal, state, and local agencies for veterans and their families, along with links to direct sources for answers to specific questions.

View and download the guide here.  

Michigan Military & Veterans Legal Services Guide

The Military and Veterans’ Legal Services Guide, a combined effort by the Michigan Department of Attorney General and the Veterans Law Clinic of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, is designed to provide Michigan military personnel and veterans, and those who assist them, with a directory of resources to address legal and legal-related issues.

View and download the guide here. 

Earlier this month, Ford Motor Company become just the 23rd employer in Michigan to be certified as a Gold-level Veteran-Friendly Employer (VFE) through the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

The prestigious Gold designation has been granted to just 4.2% of the more than 540 VFEs across the state for their commitment to recruiting, training and retaining veterans and National Guard and Reserve members.

Ford employs some 6,000 veterans and supports them with its Veteran Network Group, an employee resource group that focuses on the company’s mission of helping current and former service members. This group provides holistic support programs to help veterans return to civilian life or continue to build their careers after their time in the military is up.

Read more here. 

Explore open jobs at Corporate.Ford.com/Careers. 

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.