Saving the Budget or Taking Away the Futureby : Jamee Larson
Every year thousands of young people fall through the cracks of traditional education and training programs. Fortunately, many of these “at-risk” kids are caught by the Job Corps Program and given a second chance at becoming successful and productive citizens. However, as of January 28 of this year, new enrollment in the program has been frozen in an attempt by the Department of Labor to rectify at $60 million budget deficit. The freeze is expected to last until the end of June. Until then, only young people who are homeless, runaways, or part of the foster care system will be eligible for services.
What is Job Corps?
The Job Corps Program is a residential academic and vocational training program established in 1964 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” The first all-male center opened at Camp Catoctin, Maryland on January 15, 1965, followed by a female center in Cleveland, Ohio on April 9 of the same year. Since then, the Job Corps Program has expanded to include 125 centers in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Only New Hampshire and Wyoming lack residential programs.
Each year, Job Corps trains approximately 70,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 24. In addition to providing academic education, each center offers training in a variety of vocational areas. There are over 100 trades offered nationwide, ranging from computer networking and repair to heavy equipment operation and culinary arts. Graduates leave the Job Corps program educated, trained, and ready to become valuable members of society.
The Burdick Job Corps Center:
The Burdick Job Corps Center in Minot, North Dakota opened its doors in September of 1994. Until then, young people had to leave the state in order to receive training. Burdick offers academic education in the form of a GED or high school diploma, and vocational training in the following areas:
– Advanced Auto Technician (ASE certified)
– Carpentry (Apprenticeships available)
– Facilities Maintenance (Apprenticeships available)
– Food Service (Certifications available)
– Health Occupations (CNA, LPN, ADN)
– Medical Office Support (Certifications available)
– Office Administration (Certifications available)
– Welding (Certifications available)
Advance Career Training (ACT) is also available for those interested in pursuing education at the college level.
One of the most unique features of the Burdick Job Corps Center is its single-parent program, which offers young mothers the option of bringing along up to two children. While the parent receives education and training during the day, her children are cared for at the on-site Child Development Center, operated by Head Start. The program gives single parents the opportunity to receive the education and training they need to care for their children properly, all while not having to suffer a painful separation. Only a handful of locations in the nation offer this type of program. Luckily for the young people of North Dakota, Burdick is one of them.
Believe, Achieve, Succeed:
In August of 1992, a very lost young woman enrolled in the Job Corps Program in a last-ditch effort to turn her life around. An honor student in high school, she found herself floundering after graduation, mistakes and failures piling up at every turn. Twenty years later, she is writing this article, desperately trying to help the program that saved her.
The Burdick Job Corps Center wasn’t open yet when I enrolled, so I went to the Weber Basin Job Corps Center in Ogden, Utah. After almost two years, I graduated with a Business Clerical certificate. It was the intangibles I received, however, that transformed my life. Job Corps is built on the fundamental belief that everyone can succeed; a contagious value that vibrates through every student. I felt it the first time I set foot at Weber Basin and changed almost immediately. All it took for me to return to my authentic self was someone who believed in me, a cheerleader in my corner. Once I had that, I began to fly.
The Burdick Job Corps Center is built upon the same “Believe, Achieve, Succeed” mindset. Their leadership program is of the highest quality, enabling the center to produce students who are not only trained, they are ready to make substantial contributions to their communities.
What about the students?
A 2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics study found that “members of the civilian workforce without a high school diploma suffered the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 15%.” The prospects for untrained and/or undereducated young people are bleak without the help of programs like Job Corps. Underproductive young people turn into underproductive adults, often passing on their issues to a new generation. Job Corps is the only residential training program in the nation designed to address this problem. Without it, the options become limited.
The enrollment freeze not only impacts students, it also has a direct effect on the communities that have embraced their local centers. Community service and volunteerism is a big part of the Job Corps philosophy and something local residents often rely on. The students at Burdick have assisted the Minot community with everything from neighborhood clean-ups to flood recovery efforts. In addition, many area businesses rely heavily on the center’s economic contributions.
What is the solution?
Budgetary concerns are everywhere. Nobody is disputing the reality that cuts need to be made and belts tightened. One has to ask, however, if cut’s to a program that trains at-risk youth is reasonable considering the potential impact on society. Hundreds of thousands of students have left the Job Corps Program with a brighter future than many of them thought possible. The education and training they received enabled them to become productive and employable members of society. Yes, budget cuts need to made and deficits reduced, but at what price?
More information on the Burdick Job Corps Center can be obtained by calling (800) 733-JOBS or (701) 857-9600 or by visiting www.quentinnburdick.jobcorps.gov .