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 over three million income-eligible youth ages 16 to 24 to fulfill that mission.

We serve 50,000 students annually in over 120 centers across the United States. We provide educational, technical, and vocational skills training, as well as comprehensive support services such as mental health and substance abuse prevention. There is no cost to participants, and housing and training for our students is free.

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.