When it comes to getting a job, few people know better than Jane Sage with Michigan Works that "it's a different way, a different beast out there to find work." Slaying that beast by landing a job in this market takes just about everything you've got. Just take a look at the job board that once was covered with employer postings at the Traverse City location. Today, the number of folks reading is simply greater than the number of ads to be read. Even the statewide talent bank which according to Jane "is something we encourage job seekers to use and employees to use because it's a good match system," isn't making as many matches as it used to.
So when one of our viewers found herself at Michigan Works, trying to replace a lost job she noticed something that left her scratching her head. She says she saw a few job postings that sounded like jobs she would love to do, but the ad said you had to be a least 55 years old to apply. She wondered why the age restrictions.
I asked Jane about the ads, and she knew exactly what our viewer was talking about. She told me "one of the employers happens to be Experience Works." Experience works is a federally funded program geared entirely towards helping seniors with a qualifying income reenter the workforce. Turns out its one of several programs that is specifically geared towards a segment of our population. Jane says it makes sense that seniors get an advocate program because "Some of our older job seekers haven't been in the labor market for a long time. We have a number of them who worked at the same job for 25 to 30 years all of a sudden they are unemployed."
The Experience Works program helps with just about every aspect of getting a job, from training, to job searches, to pairing employees with potential employers. They post training opportunities that could lead to jobs at places like Michigan Works. Supporters of the program say it can be a valuable resource to those who are looking at getting back to work, but it's not for everyone. Since it's funded to help seniors, their postings for training opportunities are limited to seniors.
