Job Corps

Job Corps

Agency overview
Formed	1964
Type	Vocational Education
Jurisdiction	United States
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Agency executive	Lenita Jacobs-Simmons, Director
Parent department	Department of Labor
Website	www.jobcorps.gov

Job Corps is a program administered by the United States Department of Labor that offers free-of-charge education and vocational training to young men and women ages 16 to 24.^[1]

Mission and purpose

Job Corps' mission is to help young people ages 16 through 24 (soon to have an age cap of 28) improve the quality and satisfaction of their lives through vocational and academic training.^[2]

History

Job Corps was initiated as the central program of the Johnson Administration's War on Poverty, part of his domestic agenda known as the Great Society. Sargent Shriver, the first Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, modeled the program on the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Established in the 1930s as an emergency relief program, the CCC provided room, board, and employment to thousands of unemployed young people. Though the CCC was discontinued after World War II, Job Corps built on many of its methods and strategies.

The first National Director of the Job Corps program was Dr. S. Stephen Uslan, who was appointed by President Lyndon Johnson and reported directly to Sargent Shriver. The current national director of the Office of Job Corps is Lenita Jacobs-Simmons^[3] The Job Corps program is currently authorized under Title I-C of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.^[4]

Since its inception in 1964 under the Economic Opportunity Act, Job Corps has served more than 1.9 million young people.^[5] Job Corps serves approximately 60,000 youths annually at Job Corps Centers throughout the country.^[6]

Eligibility

A person is eligible for Job Corps if he or she meets the following criteria:^[7]

• Is a legal U.S. resident; lawfully admitted permanent resident alien, refugee, asylee, or parolee, or other immigrant who has been authorized by the U.S. attorney general to work in the United States; or resident of a U.S. territory.
• Meets low-income criteria.
• Is in need of additional technical training, education, counseling, or related assistance to complete schoolwork or to find and keep a job.
• Has signed consent from a parent or guardian if he or she is a minor.
• Has a child care plan if he or she is the parent of a dependent child.
• Does not exhibit behavioral problems that could keep him, her, or others from experiencing Job Corps’ full benefits.
• Does not require any face-to-face court or institutional supervision or court-imposed fines while enrolled in Job Corps.
• Does not use drugs.

Phases of career development

Applicants to the Job Corps program are identified and screened for eligibility by organizations contracted by the U.S. Department of Labor.^[8] Each student in the Job Corps goes through four stages of the program:^[9]

Outreach and Admissions (OA): This is the stage at which students visit admissions counselors and gather information, as well as prepare for and leave for their Job Corps Centers.^[10] Transportation is provided to and from the centers by Job Corps.

Career Preparation Period (CPP): This stage focuses on the assimilation of the student into the center, academic testing, health screening, and instruction on resume building and job search skills. Students are instructed on computer literacy, employability, and center life. This phase lasts for the first 30 days on center.^[11]

Career Development Period (CDP): This period is where the student receives all vocational training, drivers' education, academic instruction, and preparation for life outside of Job Corps, i.e. a repeat of CPP with an actual job search.^[12]

Career Transition Readiness (CTR): The period immediately after the student graduates. Career Transition Specialists outside the center assist in the graduate's job search and arrangement of living accommodations, transportation, and family support resources.^[13]

Career paths

The following Career Technical Training programs are offered by Job Corps. However, Job Corps continually adjusts program offerings in response to labor market demand, so the below list may not been fully complete or current.^[14]

Advanced manufacturing Communication design Drafting Electronic assembly Machine appliance repair Machining Welding Manufacturing technology Sign, billboard, and display

Automotive and machine repair Automobile technician General services technician Collision repair and refinish Heavy construction equipment mechanic Diesel mechanic Medium/heavy truck repair Electronics tech Stationary engineering

Construction Bricklaying Carpentry Cement masonry Concrete and terrazzo Construction craft laborer Electrical Electrical overhead line Facilities maintenance Floor covering Glazing HVAC Industrial engineering technician Licensed electrician (bilingual) Mechanical engineering technician Painting Plastering Plumbing Roto-Rooter plumbing Tile setting

Extension programs Advanced Career Training (ACT) General Educational Development (GED) Commercial driver's license (CDL) Off-Center Training (OCT Program) High school diploma (HSD Program) Finance and Business Accounting services Business management Clerical occupations Legal secretary Insurance and financial services Marketing Medical insurance specialist Office administration Paralegal Purchasing

Health care/allied health professions Clinical medical assistant Dental assistant EKG technician Emergency medical technician Exercise/massage therapy Hemodialysis technician Licensed practical/vocational nurse Medical office support Nurse assistant/home health aide Opticianry Pharmacy technician Phlebotomy Physical therapy assistant Rehabilitation therapy Rehabilitation technician Registered nurse Respiratory therapy Sterile processing Surgical technician

Homeland security Corrections officer Seamanship Security and protective services Hospitality Culinary arts Hotel and lodging Information technology A+ Microsoft MSCE Computer Networking/Cisco Computer systems administrator Computer support specialist Computer technician Integrated system tech Network cable installation Visual communications

Renewable resources and energy Forest conservation and urban forestry Firefighting Wastewater Landscaping Retail sales and services Behavioral health aide Criminal justice Child development Residential advisor Cosmetology Retail sales Transportation Asphalt paving Material and distribution operations Clerical occupations Heavy equipment operations Roustabout operator Heavy truck driving TCU administrative clerk

Locations

There are a total of 126 Job Corps centers, including at least one in every state, one in Washington, D.C. and three in Puerto Rico.^[15]

There are six Regional Offices of Job Corps:^[16]

• Atlanta Region
• Boston Region
• Chicago Region
• Dallas Region
• Philadelphia Region
• San Francisco Region

Evaluations

In Program Year 2012, approximately 75 percent of Job Corps’ graduates were placed. Slightly more than 60 percent joined the workforce or enlisted in the military, while 13.5 percent of Job Corps’ graduates enrolled in education programs.^[17] CBS This Morning reported in October 2014 that some Job Corps centers have been accused of falsifying job placements and student training, as well as ignoring violence and drug abuse.^[18]

Notable Job Corps members

• Charles Bradley - American funk/soul/R&B singer, signed to Daptone Records
• Kreayshawn
• George Foreman
• Mike Epps
• Halle Berry

See also

• Occupational Information Network (Holland Codes)

References

1. "What Is Job Corps?". Job Corps. September 25, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
2. "About Job Corps". Jobcorps.gov. 2013-03-20. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
3. "Job Corps Administrator". Job Corps. July 17, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
4. "Statutory Authority". Job Corps. January 27, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
5. "Job Corps". CareerSource Pinella. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
6. "Program Assessment: Job Corps". Office of Management and Budget. January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
7. http://www.jobcorps.gov/Libraries/pdf/eligibility_factsheet.sflb
8. "Program Administration". Job Corps. January 27, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
9. "How Job Corps Works". Jobcorps.gov. 2012-02-03. Retrieved 2014-05-19.
10. "How Job Corps Works: Outreach and Admissions". Job Corps. January 27, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
11. "How Job Corps Works: Career Preparation Period". Job Corps. January 27, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
12. "How Job Corps Works: Career Development Period". Job Corps. January 27, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
13. "How Job Corps Works: Career Transition Period". Job Corps. January 27, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
14. "Job Corps: What Careers Can I Choose From?". Job Corps. December 8, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
15. "Center Locations". Job Corps. August 14, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
16. "Contact Job Corps". Job Corps. August 14, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
17. http://www.jobcorps.gov/Libraries/pdf/who_job_corps_serves.sflb
18. "Federal government Job Corps program investigation raises questions about effectiveness". cbsnews.com. 22 October 2014.

External links

• Official website