This TUESDAY work search and transition support group has been helping job seekers find work in West Michigan since 1995. These weekly sessions are open to the public and provide ongoing networking, support, group problem solving, and coaching for individuals during periods of work search and career transition. Roundtable is held 8:30-10:30 am at Spring Arbor University’s Grand Rapids Center in the Executive East Building, 1550 East Beltline SE, Suite 230 (on the east side of the Beltline, just south of Lake Drive).

A donation is requested ($5) for each week’s session at the SAU-GR location.  However, for attendees who are coming by referral from other EaRN Employment & Resource Network (www.earn-network.org) Affiliate organizations (EAO), there is no donation expectation.

Ken Soper, one of the first 50 National Career Development Association recognized Master Career Counselors,  co-Founder and President of EaRN | Employment and Resource Network (www.earn-network.org), and adjunct faculty member of Spring Arbor University facilitates this SAU-GR based TUESDAY Roundtable and coordinates information sharing with other such support groups throughout the region.

Individuals may REGISTER for the Spring Arbor University-hosted weekly event (except those weeks of the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day) by going to www.grnow.com, clicking on the calendar date, then the event, and using the “Register Now” function at the bottom of the screen.

Several TV and radio stations as well as The Grand Rapids Press have done reports on this weekly event during the past decade. WOOD-TV 8 did a report on the Work Search Roundtables in early 2009. There’s the link: Networking is the key.

One additional EaRN Work Search Roundtable meets WEDNESDAY every other week, 9:30-10:30 am at  St Robert of Newminster Parish, 6477 Ada Dr. SE, Ada, Michigan.  The meeting is in the Parish Adult Lounge. See their site or call them, http://www.strobertchurch.org/, (616) 676-9111 for more information, or contact their Career Transition / EaRN Ministry Coordinator, Bill Weitzel, LMSW, (616) 446-1873 (c), weitzelwj (at) aol.com.

Another resource is EaRN Affiliate Blythefield Hills Baptist Church, 6727 Kuttshill Dr NE, Rockford, MI 49341 (east off Northland Drive) who provides by appointment one-on-one coaching and counsel for those in work search transition. More information is available at their website, http://www.bhbconline.org/supportgroups, or contact their EaRN Ministry Coordinator, Jeff Geshel, (616) 866-3556, jeff (at) atlascoast.com.

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Training is available to churches and other non-profits interested in learning how to develop, launch and facilitate EaRN Work Search Roundtable events as part of building an EaRN Employment and Resource Network ministry and outreach through their churches.  More information about EaRN can be found at http://www.earn-network.org/, or contact Ken at EaRN (616) 698-3125, ksoper (at) earn-network.org.