teacher

liaison

bus driver

instructional coach

preschool teacher

NEMCSA

NEMCSA is a great place to work for people with futures in education and early childhood, but fairly limited as far as tech-based careers go. The benefits of working at NEMCSA are very great and numerous, including health/dental/vision benefits, paid breaks, different types of paid time off, several opportunities for educational advancement, and a supportive staff group. However, their involvement in the I.T. and tech industry is very limited, including a very small I.T. staff and two database administrators. Though I was paid fairly well for my database work, there wasn't a lot of opportunity to move up in the field and the pay falls under the national average for database administrators and operators. There is also a clear favoritism for working in an office setting over working from home for administrative staff. Though a lot of people still prefer this office setting, I was perfectly comfortable performing my duties from home. I was able to for most of the pandemic, but was forced to come in due to staff favoritism before I was truly comfortable. 
As far as job functions go, it can be a bit overwhelming to start but fairly satisfying once you understand what to do. You have to have a solid understanding of SQL databases and code with an open-mind to learning SSRS (with some Visual Basic), PowerBI, and ChildPlus. Though it can be challenging to understand more complex queries and conditional statements, plenty of opportunities are available for learning how the systems function. I learned the ins-and-outs of each system within a year of work and study. Learning these systems and how to efficiently run them is honestly the most enjoyable part of the job; once you're into it, it can become easy to get lost in creating complex SQL views and unique data reports. It's definitely a rewarding feeling.
Overall, NEMCSA is a great place to work if you want a career in early childhood development or in a public office setting with fantastic health benefits and time off benefits. However, if you're seeking a position that's tech-involved and/or more based at home, you would want to either look elsewhere or use this as a stepping stone. You're likely to get enjoyment out of working with the complex database and report system, but that will be the extent of your involvement in their tech side. 

I typically receive calls throughout the day from people who need assistance with mortgage foreclosure or property tax foreclosure. I get their file set up and send out the paperwork required by NEMCSA. When I am not answering the phone I am usually entering clients into the database and making sure everything is up to date. I also do follow-up calls to people to see if they received their paperwork or have any questions about the paperwork. 
I have learned a lot from this job. I had no knowledge of the foreclosure process until I started working here. I now know the basics of the foreclosure process, and what people can do if they need help. I also learned about all the different resources that are available to people at NEMCSA. 
The department that I work in is very small, there are only 5 of us all together, so that makes it pretty easy when it comes to working together and getting along. 
The most enjoyable part of this job is that it is pretty laid back. My supervisor is very understanding and willing to help me out when I have questions. 
The hardest part of this job is trying to stay neutral with each client. You really have to leave your emotions out of most situations, because when emotions get involved people try to take advantage of that.
I will be honest my heart does not lie here or in the foreclosure area. My real dream is to eventually be a social worker in a hospital. So my next goal is to try and get a job in a health care related area.

There was no 'typical' day...every day was something new.  Some days were spent in the office; other days there was a lot of traveling.  Lots of meetings to attend and always more work tasks being added on to the job description ('other duties as described' is a favorite saying of managers there), but never any additional time given to get them done.  The more long-term members of management were good but many of the newer managers were not trained well in their job duties, which made it very difficult for the rest of the staff to do their jobs.  Many of the staff members focus more on gossiping and favoritism (even several of the managers) instead of on teamwork... there tended to be lots of talk behind other employees backs which led to issues quite often.  If you don't mind drama in the workplace, then you'll be fine.  It was nice to have a somewhat flexible schedule, but constantly had to put in more than full-time hours just to keep up on the work load.  They give a lot of vacation time, but not too many good times throughout the year to take it otherwise you'll fall behind, so much of it went unused.  The high turn-over rate and constant restructuring also made it difficult to get solid answers to question and to get things accomplished.

Depending on the department, NEMCSA has a great retention rate for good reason. Great longevity benefits, very supportive work environment, regular opportunities for CEUs and trainings, 40 hours/week with no nights or weekends, fair pay, no health insurance premium, yearly cost of living raise, and no issue with getting PTO approved. Immediate supervisors have all started as entry level staff and worked their way up, meaning they are very empathetic and knowledgeable about the staff they oversee. 

However, because of the great retention, there is really no room for advancement unless someone leaves or retires, which rarely happens. Because funding is through grants and state/federal funds and shared between departments, raises are based on available funding, not merit. Agency-wide decisions are also made by a board of directors who have little to no experience in the current field. While my position is permanently work from home, the agency has not "officially" declared this and does not compensate for work from home expenses, provide mileage to our previous office (which we still occasionally visit for supplies), etc..

I came to NEMCSA from another agency in the area, where I was treated horribly. I am so glad I made that change! The predominantly women led organization is clear about goals and the supervisors are wonderful! There is always something new to learn and they encourage involvement in the communities we serve.

I wish I had started my caseworker career here but I am glad that I did find my way here. There is leeway for flex time, and although the healthcare benefits that we don’t have to pay for isn’t all that great, at least there’s an HSA. There is counseling available for us as well. Oh and we get our lunch hour PAID! So you truly are only gone from home for 40 hours per week! 

Highly recommend!  

poor pay, high expectations,  increasingly top heavy with management, collecting money for children that are not receiving services (these are virtual families that do not participate virtually) kept vaccine mandate and fired many employees for not being vaccinated, did not honor exemptions after making employees wait a month and a half to see if their exemption was approved, hindering families the last two years instead of helping them, for resource stewardship with the millions of dollars they get from the federal government, spending money is one of their favorite things to do because it's unending money they get from the government, not valuing the people that have done a good job.  

Nemcsa is a good agency to work for. They provide decent wages, great benefits, and holiday pay. However, the paperwork workload is a lot more than expected and there is definitely not enough time given to complete the workload on time. A lot of work is taken home, or you stay late, or work on your lunch break to complete it for the deadline, even though you are unable to claim overtime. I love working with the children; however, there are some days that are really tough to get through, but it feels very rewarding knowing that you are making a difference in not only the children's lives, but the families you work with as well.

Head start needs to have less kids in a classroom. NEMCSA takes kids with high needs and puts all 16 of them into one room. Not enough support for the children that need more. Not enough support for the teaching staff. It would be a good idea to go back to half days for the kids. This way they can split up the known behaviors, the high needs, and all the needs of all of the children can actually be met. I would not recommend this company for anyone looking for preschool for their child. Nor to work for this company. 

Overall, NEMCSA was a good place to work, but because Michigan Works was a unique entity, and not always managed well, I felt we were the "black sheep" of the organization.  When we had issue regarding management in our offices, it seemed NEMCSA always wanted for us to handle it internally.  That was not a good idea, since there was no support network.  There was good benefits for all employees and easy access to all information regarding employment.  HR Department was very organized and always available for your questions.

The Early Childhood division of NEMCSA continues to grow and get better.   Great environment and support in our local preschool. I have a great working relationship with local teachers, Area Manager and community agencies. I feel support from our content specialist and enjoy working with all the families we serve. Lots of required trainings and opportunities to continue your education in different areas. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 51 salaries reported	$3,015 per month
Liaison 3 salaries reported	$24.16 per hour
Bus driver 2 salaries reported	$19.49 per hour
Instructional coach 8 salaries reported	$20.24 per hour
Preschool teacher 5 salaries reported	$1,810 per month

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