For young people wanting to learn a skill to improve their chances for a successful and meaningful career, looking into Job Corps may be just the answer.
Job Corps is a free education and training program that helps youths ages 16 to 24 learn a career, earn a high school diploma or GED, and find and keep a good job. For those that qualify as low income, Job Corps provides the all-around skills needed to succeed in a career and in life.
Locally, the Weber Basin and the Clearfield Job Corps offer skill training in such areas as:
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As the third-largest in the nation, serving more than 1,100 students/residents at any given time, Clearfield Job Corps also offers training in advanced automotive, health occupations, plumbing and numerous other career fields. Clearfield Job Corps placed 941 students in jobs or post secondary education last year in the midst of a challenging economy, a tremendous success rate that ranks among the highest in the nation.
Weber Basin Job Corps has one of the best recreation programs in the nation with activities in bowling, skating, skiing, basketball, football and softball.
Job Corps is more than just a skill-training program. It is a career-preparation program that helps each student/resident prepare for the real world and have a successful career in higher-paying jobs. With the help of mentors, counselors, instructors and educators, students will learn respect and responsibility, as well as other career-preparation goals that will help them be successful throughout life.
With today's struggling economy, having marketable skills is critically important. But just as important is learning how to be responsible citizens and how to take charge of our own future.
While there is a low-income qualification for acceptance into the program, the long-standing reputation that Job Corps is just for troubled youth is false and always has been. Job Corps offers opportunities for a very broad segment of our youth population. There is a zero-tolerance policy for violence, alcohol and drugs.
In addition to career preparation, Job Corps offers a living allowance (pay), housing, meals, and health services, all free of charge to students.
Graduates also receive a $1,200 transition allowance, job placement assistance for up to six months, career counseling and relocation counseling services.
Because students determine their own pace, training can take from eight months to two years to complete.
Fashioned after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, Job Corps began during the Johnson Administration's War on Poverty efforts in 1964.
Job Corps offers youths an opportunity to better their lives through preparing for careers that have a future, especially important in today's economy.
Since its inception, Job Corps has served more than 2 million young people, and there are currently 60,000 students/residents in 122 locations.
Those who qualify and want to improve their chances of a prosperous career may want to consider joining Job Corps as the next step to a successful and meaningful future.
Ron Campbell has worked extensively in the job preparation and job search industry. He is vice president of strategic planning for Enable Industries. He can be reached at 801-386-1111 or campbellrv@gmail.com
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