Erin McGee: Connecting Potential and Opportunity: 60 Years of Job Corps

On August 20, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act, a centerpiece of his War on Poverty.

In addition to ten other major programs, the law created a federal program called “Job Corps” to increase the employability of young adults by providing them with “education, vocational training, [and] useful professional experience.”

The program was based on an idea that still drives us today: our country's working world offers enormous opportunities. Job Corps makes education and training accessible to everyone and offers the opportunity to work. It promotes and facilitates access to good jobs that change lives.

Sixty years later, Job Corps has trained more than 3 million income-eligible 16- to 24-year-olds to fulfill that mission. We serve 50,000 students annually at more than 120 centers across the United States, providing educational, technical, and career skills training and comprehensive support services such as mental health and substance abuse prevention. There is no cost to participants, and housing and education are free for our students.

Students in our program come from all over the country and represent diverse ethnicities, backgrounds and communities. Many come from areas where opportunities have been few and far between, but we know that where they start doesn't determine their path.

At Job Corps, we define young people by their highest potential. We nurture and focus our students' skills and provide them with opportunities in industry, registered apprenticeships, the military, or higher education.

Young people have a unique opportunity to support and grow our local economy. To do so, they need clear pathways to launch careers based on equity, job quality, and supportive services. Job Corps is one of those pathways.

Our program is based on the idea that everyone has their own path. Going to college straight after high school is no longer the only option for young people.

At a time when skilled workers are in high demand, Job Corps has been training thousands of welders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters, nursing assistants and more for 60 years.

We also know we can't do it alone. Partnerships ensure the Job Corps program is both an industry and community win. We rely on a variety of partners to help us create pathways to life-changing jobs for our students.

The U.S. Department of the Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command is working with Job Corps to hire shipbuilders from our Northeast locations. Disney has committed to bringing some of our

Culinary students can participate in their culinary program at the resort. Johnson & Johnson has partnered with our center in Jacksonville, Florida to manufacture contact lenses.

These and other partners – including Mercedes-Benz, Amazon Web Services and the US Aviation Academy – provide students with career opportunities that will have a lasting impact on their future while meeting the demands of the local labor market.

We need your help here. We all have a role to play in supporting the youth and young adults of our country.

You can support our mission as a prospective student, employer, union leader or community member. Tell someone about the program, work with your local center or learn how to sign up at JobCorps.gov. Help us build the workforce of the future.

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary this month, we are already looking ahead to the next 60 years of Job Corps and beyond, to the next generation of our program and the next generation of American workers.

Erin McGee is the acting national director of Job Corps. Locally, students can participate in Job Corps programs at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh. Send comments to [email protected].