Veteran Services
Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible Spouses
Are you a Veteran?
Under federal law, a veteran is defined as any of the following:
- A person who served on active duty for a period of more than 180 days and was discharged or released from service with other than a dishonorable discharge.
- A person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. In this case, there is no duration of service requirement.
- A person who served on active duty during a period of war, or in a campaign for which a campaign badge was authorized, and was discharged or released from such duty with other than a dishonorable discharge.
Under federal law, an other eligible person is defined as one of the following:
- The spouse of a veteran who died of a service-connected disability.
- The spouse of any member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty who, at the time of application for assistance, has been listed in one of the following categories for more than 90 days:
- Missing in action.
- Captured in line of duty by a hostile force.
- Forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power.
- The spouse of any person who has a total disability that is permanent in nature resulting from a service-connected disability.
A Veterans Employment Specialist can help!
A Veterans Employment Specialist is a veteran helping fellow veterans to find employment, build occupational skills, and access state and federal veterans’ services. Veterans Employment Specialists provide personalized service to:
- Develop an action plan to meet your goals
- Access employment priority for veterans
- Job search assistance
- Career exploration and planning
- Discuss possible training options
Find a Veteran Employment Specialist near you.
Am I eligible for services from a Veterans Employment Specialist?
In order to receive services, you must be categorized as one of the following:
- Any veteran honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States of America that has completed a full term of honorable military service for a minimum of 180 continuous days, not including Boot Camp or basic training.
- A reservist or member of the National Guard called up for active duty for a minimum of 180 continuous days, not including Boot Camp or basic training.
- The spouse of a (1) current active duty veteran, (2) 100 percent disabled veteran, or (3) a veteran officially listed as KIA, MIA, or POW.
How do veterans get connected with a Veterans Employment Specialist?
To begin to work with a Veterans Employment Specialist, come to our center and let us know you are a veteran. We will direct you to create or print your Michigan Talent Bank resume and complete a referral form. Once the referral form is complete, a Veterans Employment Specialist will contact you.
Gold Card program for Post 9/11 Veterans
The Gold Card initiative is a joint effort of the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). This program is designed to provide unemployed post-9/11 veterans with assistance in getting them back into the labor market as quickly as possible.
An eligible veteran can present the Gold Card at their local One-Stop Career Center to receive intensive services including up to six months of follow-up. The Gold Card services will include a combination of intensive services, including skills assessment, career coaching, and job search assistance over a six-month period to jump-start the veterans’ job search process and reconnect them to the civilian labor force in high-demand sectors. These services can help veterans identify transferable skills, career goals and job search strategies. Veterans will be able to access services in-person and on-line. Information about this initiative can be found on the DOL website and veterans will be able to print a Gold Card.
On My Next Move for Veterans, a quick and simple search engine can link prior military experience to information on civilian careers and related training, including how to write resumes that highlight civilian careers. The website also provides a link to an online assessment, the O*NET Interest Profiler. The Career One-Stop website allows veterans to identify civilian job openings related to their military experience, locate training and identify benefits and other assistance after military service.
Useful Resources