Michigan Works! is sometimes mistaken for the Unemployment Insurance Agency, but we are separate organizations. The Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) is part of the State of Michigan’s Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity (LEO), while Michigan Works! Southeast is a non-profit organization separate from the government. It’s easy for some people to confuse us for the State of Michigan because we collaborate so closely!
Our team is well versed in the unemployment process and are available to help customers navigate it. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the record levels of unemployment left in its wake, Michigan Works! Southeast volunteered to assist the UIA in ensuring the millions of laid off workers received their benefits. Our relationship with the State of Michigan goes far beyond unemployment, however.
Many of our events and initiatives are supported by the State and you will frequently see LEO’s logo and social handles on our website and social media posts (@MIDeptLEO and @MichiganLEO on Facebook and Twitter respectively). For example, our Virtual Hiring Blitz that took place in September 2020 was hosted on the Brazen platform, which was made possible by LEO.
All of our offices have a representative from LEO’s Veteran’s Employment Services, who serve our veteran job seekers. We also collaborate closely with the Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) who help us remove barriers that prevent people from succeeding in their workplace. Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) helps our differently abled job seekers to pursue and retain careers. They frequently work with us to ensure our facilities and resources are accessible to all who need them. Our relationship is so close with MRS that we share an office in Jackson!
Beyond the State of Michigan, Michigan Works! Southeast has a vast network of community partners that help us create connections to a better future. Our partnerships include economic developers such as Ann Arbor SPARK and Lenawee NOW as well as youth-based organizations such as Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates. We also work with educational providers like Jonesville Pathways, local ISD’s, and our community colleges: Jackson, Washtenaw, and Mott.
These are just a few of the organizations we work with and our partners are too many to list. Each and every one of them are crucial in meeting the needs of employers and job seekers in our region. We are all traveling the road to economic prosperity together and we regularly cross into each other’s lanes along the way.
