Cheryl Groves with the Texas Workforce Commission, left, talks with Sally Hood with Job Corps about ways to get young adults in Graham interested in the opportunities offered through Job Corps. (Photo by David Rupkalvis)
Job Corps hoping to find students in Graham
by David Rupkalvis
(Posted 7/23/2010 02:51 pm)
editor@grahamleader.com
Young adults who are struggling to find a good job and pay for an education have an alternative that is often overlooked — Job Corps.
Best of all, the federal program funded through the Department of Labor is completely free.
Sally Hood visited the Texas Workforce Commission office in Graham on Wednesday to meet with local residents who might be interested in the training offered by Job Corps. She said the program, which is offered to those age 16 to 24, can make a big difference.
“Job Corps provides job training in specific areas, specialized training,” Hood said. “It’s a residential training, it’s like going to college. They’ll help them get a high school diploma or GED, they’ll get a driver’s license and they’ll train them in a trade.”
Hood said she was beginning an outreach effort Wednesday that will continue for many months. Hood is officed in Wichita Falls, but she said she was visiting outlying areas in an effort to reach out to potential students.
“This is to get the word out and make things a little easier for those who live in the outlying areas so they don’t have to drive to Wichita Falls,” she said. “That seems to be a significant challenge.”
Hood will be returning to Graham at 3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.
During her time in Graham, she would like to meet with prospective students so she can explain the program, do an interview and assist with the necessary paperwork. Hood said the program is designed to help those who are struggling for a variety of reasons.
“It’s for the ones who have either dropped out of high school or are struggling and are getting frustrated,” Hood said. “This has been the best-kept secret. It’s been around since 1964. It’s for someone who’s had some challenges they need to overcome, and they need some help to become a benefit to society and not a drain.”
Hood said during the training, which typically lasts from nine months to a year, students will be trained in one of three areas — to prepare for college, a job or the military.
While the training is on campus and requires the student to move to one of six campuses in the area, Hood said the students are given freedom, are allowed guests and can return home for visits.
Hood also said one common misperception of Job Corps is that it is for bad kids — students assigned to the program as punishment for a crime. In fact, she said judges never assign students to Job Corps, and students can be denied for several reasons. One of the most common is young adults who have open legal issues.
The program is not a punishment but an opportunity to be trained in a job that will help one do more than just survive.
“I actually have a young lady completing the Job Corps center who never went to school a day in her life,” Hood said. “They were able to help her get a GED and now she’s going to college.”
The job training is in a variety of fields ranging from carpentry and culinary arts to nursing and office administration. Hood said if a student qualifies and is accepted into Job Corps, they will be asked to pick a trade they would like to do.
Once the trade has been selected, the student will be assigned to a campus.
From Graham, the closest campuses are in Lawton, Okla. and McKinney.
The size of the campuses ranges from 180 students in Ozark, Ark. to 1,600 students in San Marcos. While in training, the student will receive free housing, free meals, free medical and dental care and job training.
“Job Corps has so much more to offer than anyone would understand,” Hood said.
While at Graham, Hood is hoping to meet students from Young, Stephens, Jack, Palo Pinto, Stephens, Haskell, Throckmorton and Shackelford counties.
To meet with Hood, who will be returning to Graham on Aug. 18, young adults can call the Texas Workforce Commission in Graham at (940) 549-6363 or Hood at (940) 322-1801.
The one call can make a huge difference in a person’s life.
