Community Outreach and Regional Engagement
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August 17, 2022
(Left to right): Michael Kuta as a young Marine directly after high school; posing with Steve Yzerman as Public Relations Manager for the Detroit Red Wings; and as a road supervisor for City Shield Security Services.
Governor Whitmer’s administration has made significant strides in breaking down employment barriers for Michigan veterans and their families and ultimately helping them secure jobs. The unemployment rate for Michigan veterans was 4.2% in 2021, compared with the state’s unemployment rate for nonveterans of 5.6%. Gov. Whitmer’s support of veteran employment initiatives includes signing four bipartisan bills to remove barriers that prevented veterans and their families from entering a licensed profession. She also signed legislation making it easier for qualified veterans to receive a Commercial Driver’s License, helping fill the gap for truck drivers. And she expanded the State of Michigan veterans’ preference program to make it easier for veterans to find good jobs in state government.
These efforts benefit veterans like Michael Kuta of Southfield, a Marine veteran who lost his job working security at music festivals during the pandemic. After months of unsuccessfully searching for a job, Kuta turned to the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and promptly landed a managerial job at a security firm in Detroit. “I’m happy to be working again,” Kuta said. “It was tough to get through the layoff and this whole COVID deal, but there are so many veterans who have it worse off and need services more than I do.”
The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency helped Kuta by connecting him to the right resources. Call 1-800-MICH-VET or visit michigan.gov/MVAA to see how we can help you. One of the available resources is Veterans’ Employment Services (VES), a free program through the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Quality in which trained veteran representatives help fellow veterans overcome specific barriers to employment. Learn more at the VES website.
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) is hosting the Veterans Day Recognition Ceremony Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 9:30-11 a.m., at Heritage Hall in downtown Lansing.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Less than 100 tickets remain available for the 2024 Michigan Military & Veterans Gala, Saturday, Nov. 2, at the L.V. Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids. The Gala is the state's premier event that honors both those who have served our state and nation in uniform and those who advocate on their behalf.
LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) has received a letter and Certificate of Appreciation from the Director the United States Army, Major General Edward J. Chrystal Jr., recognizing the agency for faithfully representing our Nation by selflessly hosting events to thank and honor Vietnam-era veterans and their families.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) hosted their fourth annual Veteran-Friendly Employers Innovation Conference for Michigan employers committed to the recruitment, training and retention of military veterans. More than 75 attendees from nearly 70 businesses from across Michigan joined fellow employers to learn how they can better serve their veteran employees and how to best recruit veterans to join their organizations.