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BENTON HARBOR — With more than 1,600 jobs available in southwest Michigan right now, Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren is urging the public to get back to work by attending the first of many virtual hiring events.

Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren is helping to fill the gap with 15- minute phone interviews. During the interviews, employers will discuss job opportunities, qualifications, and experience with job seekers to determine if they’re a good fit and interest for their company. The next round of phone interviews will feature three different healthcare providers in the region:

• Beacon Specialized Living

9 a.m. to noon Thursday, March 4

Beacon Specialized Living is hiring direct support professionals in Berrien, Van Buren, Allegan, and Kalamazoo counties.

• Arcadia Home Care and Staffing

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, March 11

Arcadia is hiring caregivers and certified nursing assistants in Berrien Cass, and Van Buren counties.

• Spectrum Health Lakeland Pine Ridge

1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 16

Spectrum Health Lakeland Pine Ridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center is hiring certified nursing assistants, certified nursing assistants in training, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses in Stevensville.

“The healthcare industry has experienced high demand since the beginning of COVID, with job postings in our region being up 45percent since February 2020,” said Lily Brewer, executive director of Michigan Works! Berrien, Cass, Van Buren. “This hiring event is a great opportunity for individuals looking to get into healthcare with a guaranteed interview.”

Brewer explained that the first round of phone interviews was successful.

“Throughout the pandemic, our team has been looking for ways to be the connector between our employers and our job seekers and we are seeing this a viable solution to do just that. Our first round of phone interviews filled up within a few hours of making the announcement and our local employers are happy with the results. We are here to fill the hiring gap and I’m excited to be helping the healthcare industry this time around,” she said.

Job seekers who would like to attend are required to register their timeslot at miworks.org/virtual-job-fairs. Job seekers will be expected to provide their phone number, select a time for the interview and the employer will then call the job seeker and conduct the 15-minute interview.

Employers looking to host a phone interview at no cost should contact Berrien County Business Account Manager Paul Brohman at BrohmanP@miworks.org or Cass and Van Buren County Business Account Manager, Mark O’Reilly at OreillyM@miworks.org. For more information or general questions, visit miworks.org.