Job Corps

Job Corps students are young women and men, 16 through 24, with limited financial resources who find training and support in a safe environment at any one of the more than 100 Job Corps campuses around the country. Students who qualify for Job Corps receive the equivalent of a scholarship to obtain academic, vocational and social skills training. They may obtain a GED and take English as a second language if needed. They receive room and board, medical care, work clothing, a cash allowance, counseling and recreational opportunities. They also may become involved with campus organizations, such as the Student Government Association.

Students live on Job Corps campuses, where they make lasting friendships and work with a dedicated staff of instructors, counselors and coaches. Some campuses offer child care services to accommodate single parents who live at home. At Job Corps, students achieve independence and develop pride in themselves and their accomplishments.

Training is open-entry, open-exit, and can be up to 2 years depending on each student’s progress in an individually paced learning program. When students graduate, they receive an allowance that can be used for start-up rent, insurance, transportation needs and other expenses. Job Corps also provides placement services to help graduates find jobs.

• Auto Repair Technician
• Bricklayer
• Building Maintenance
• Business Clerical
• Carpenter
• Cement Mason
• Computer Operator
• Cook Apprentice
• Data Entry Specialist
• Diesel Mechanic
• Electrician
• Home Health Aide
• Landscape Technician
• Nursery School Attendant
• Office Clerk
• Painter
• Plasterer
• Plumber
• Retail Sales Clerk
• Welder
.....and many more!

Job Corps now enters its fourth decade as the nation’s largest residential training program for young women and men. Administered and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor, Job Corps provides young people who have limited financial resources the chance to learn marketable skills so they can get good jobs.

Job Corps graduates are hard workers, trained and certified by businesses and labor organizations that provide the training young workers need to succeed.

Job Corps doesn’t just teach a trade; it teaches a work ethic. Job Corps graduates know that personal accountability, reliability, a neat appearance and good manners are basic to getting and keeping a job. They know how to work in teams and use the problem-solving and decision-making skills required in today’s competitive workplace.

Job Corps trains the whole person. Students receive academic education, vocational instructions, social skills training and counseling. They learn leadership, self-esteem, time and resource management, and how to think creatively and work effectively in a culturally diverse setting. Many Job Corps graduates have earned high school equivalency diplomas (GED) and bring a full range of technical skills to the job.

And most important, Job Corps graduates are highly motivated. To succeed in the program, they’ve worked hard to make changes in their lives. They are now ready to take the next step and get started on their careers.

Job Corps pays for itself and more. Before entering Job Corps, few students have completed high school or held a full-time job. Job Corps students come from lower income families or neighborhoods offering limited opportunities. At Job Corps these young people obtain the skills needed to become productive, tax-paying members of their communities. And their contributions go beyond dollars and cents.

In neighborhoods near Job Corps campuses, students perform thousands of dollars worth of repairs and renovations on local parks and other community facilities. They provide volunteer services such as visiting nursing homes and hospitals, making food deliveries to the hungry, and volunteering for blood drives.