Job & Career Accelerator™ Selected as Part of Michigan eLibrary--MeL.org

NEW YORK and EAST LANSING, Mich., Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- LearningExpress, LLC—the leading provider of online resume creation and job search tools—and the Library of Michigan's eLibrary (MeL), are pleased to provide Job & Career Accelerator™, a new web resource for Michigan job seekers, which joins LearningExpress Library, a test and tutorial resource, already available through MeL.

This new resource in the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) is made possible by a grant from the federal government's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), of 2009 and through round 2 of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) Public Computer Center Grant.  The $6 million grant, awarded to Michigan State University (MSU) in August 2010, will give residents in Michigan tools and training for broadband use, increase the number of computers in Michigan libraries, and provide additional resources to all libraries, schools, businesses and residents in the state.  As a result of the grant, Michigan State University will also receive access to Job & Career Accelerator.

Job & Career Accelerator's job guidance and search platform arrives as the unemployment in Michigan has risen from 6.9% in 2007 to 12.9% in 2010.  This data comes from the current recessionary period as defined by the US Bureau of Economic Research and places Michigan state residents in one of the eight hardest hit job markets in the US.  

Public libraries have seen an increasing demand for job search assistance and librarians have stepped up to assist the unemployed with their job searches.  "We are well aware of how public library users are turning to their libraries for job search assistance," said Nancy Robertson, State Librarian of Michigan.  "Job & Career Accelerator will be an excellent resource for librarians to use with their job seeking public."  The easy-to-use learning path in Job & Career Accelerator provides users with a personalized job search experience and will help librarians as well as workforce development professionals simplify the entire job search process.

Without Internet access or a method to respond electronically to job advertisements in today's standard web-based job application process, it is difficult for the long-term unemployed to get back on their feet. MeL enables job seekers to access the tools and information in Job & Career Accelerator to achieve employment success.  Through the Michigan agreement, MeL will provide access to both LearningExpress Library and Job & Career Accelerator to state residents who are job seeking or career changing.

"We are pleased to continue working with the state of Michigan and the Michigan eLibrary to provide essential workforce services that help the millions of library patrons prepare for success in their job search and careers," says Barry Lippman, President and CEO of LearningExpress, LLC.

In addition to access to millions of active job and internship postings, Job & Career Accelerator provides a wide array of valuable information including predicted job growth by field, a review of today's hottest careers, model resumes based on job titles and experience levels, interactive computer training courses, and eBooks for further skill-building and study.  Job and Career Accelerator is accessible free to all Michigan residents from any computer with an Internet connection.  

The MI agreement marks the sixth statewide contract awarded to LearningExpress, LLC joining previous similar partnerships with Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia and New Jersey for its online career and job search solution, Job & Career Accelerator.

ABOUT THE MICHIGAN eLIBRARY, MeL is a project of the Library of Michigan, an agency of the Michigan Department of Education.   MeL is supported by federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, enhancing library service to all residents of the state.  Visit the Michigan eLibrary at:  http://mel.org

ABOUT LEARNINGEXPRESS, LLC Founded in 1995, LearningExpress is a leading e-learning technology company that provides career advancement and education solutions to thousands of colleges and libraries, currently helping more than one million students and adult learners annually to meet their professional and academic goals. The company offers comprehensive and fully integrated web-based platforms designed to help users assess, explore, find, prepare, pursue, and achieve their career endeavors.  Visit LearningExpress, LLC Job & Career Accelerator online at: www.jobandcareeraccelerator.com.

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, MSU has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years.  MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact.  Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.  Visit Michigan State University at: http://msu.edu/

SOURCE LearningExpress, LLC