BerkshireWorks Veterans' specialists will:

·        help you organize your job search, access benefits

·        work with you to design your own personal employment plan, a comprehensive and flexible way to help you manage your job search,

·        assist you with writing your resume, and

·        help you to develop your job leads

Visit one of BerkshireWorks One-Stop Career Centers, located at 160 North Street Pittsfield or 37 Main Street North Adams to talk to a veterans' specialist, or e-mail dnash@detma.org.  You can also look for job leads by visiting www.BerkshireWorks.org or through Massachusetts JobQuest.

Local Veterans' Employment Representatives

Our Local Veterans' Employment Representatives (LVERS) are state employees located in the state's One-Stop Career Centers. Their job is to provide job search services to veterans by:

·        supervising the provision of all services to veterans including counseling, testing, and identifying training and employment opportunities;

·        monitoring job listings from federal contractors to see that eligible veterans get priority in referrals to these jobs;

·        monitoring federal department and agency vacancies listed at local One-Stop Centers processing complaints from veterans about the observance of veterans' preference by federal employers;

·        promoting and monitoring the participation of veterans in federally-funded employment and training programs;

·        cooperating with the Department of Veterans Affairs to identify and aid veterans who need work-specific prosthetic devices, sensory aids or other special equipment to improve their employability; and

·        contacting community leaders, employers, unions, training programs, veterans' service organizations and City or Town Veterans Services Officers to be sure eligible veterans get the services to which they are entitled.

For more information about U.S. Department of Labor employment and training programs for veterans, contact  dnash@detma.org. or the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service office nearest you, listed in the phone book in the United States Government under the Labor Department, or a Veterans Educational Officer.

Disabled Veterans' Outreach

Our Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program Specialists (DVOPS) develop job and training opportunities for veterans, with special emphasis on veterans with service-connected disabilities.

DVOP Specialists provide direct services to veterans to help them to compete in the labor market. They provide outreach and offer assistance to disabled and other veterans by promoting community and employer support for employment and training opportunities, including apprenticeship and on-the-job training.

DVOP Specialists work with employers, veterans' organizations, the U. S.Department of Veterans Affairs and the U. S. Department of Defense, and community-based organizations to link veterans with appropriate jobs and training opportunities.

DVOP Specialists serve as case managers for veterans enrolled in federally-funded job training programs such as the Department of Veterans Affairs' Vocational Rehabilitation program, and other veterans with serious disadvantages in the job market. DVOPs are available to those veterans and their employers to help ensure that necessary follow up services are provided to promote job retention.

The U.S. Department of Labor provides funding for DVOP specialist positions. These specialists are located in One-Stop Career Centers across the state.

DVOP Specialists may also be stationed at regional offices and medical or veterans' outreach centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs, state or county veterans' service offices, community-based organizations, and military installations.

Transitioning to Civilian Life

Many of the skills service members acquire are transferable to the civilian economy. Some examples are accounting, construction, education, electronics, and law enforcement. The new Transition Assistance Program (TAP) has been established to help service members prepare themselves for employment in the civilian world. New veterans seeking employment are equipped with a clear sense of their capabilities and potential. Veterans' know what to expect and how to fit in.  For more information contact  dnash@detma.org