US Congress Passes $1.7 Billion For Job Corps; $15M Increase Over FY16

Job Corps, run by the U.S. Department of Labor, is open to low-income youth ages 16-24 with legal status in the United States. It provides technical training, education, counseling, and related assistance as they complete their schooling or find work.

Washington DC– Last week, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced $1,704,155,000 in funding for the 2017 fiscal year for Job Corps, a free training program that helps American youth develop job skills, find employment, and graduate high school or earn a GED.

Job Corps, run by the U.S. Department of Labor, is open to low-income youth ages 16-24 with legal status in the United States. It provides technical training, education, counseling, and related assistance as they complete their schooling or find work.

In 2015, 71% of Job Corps participants had a full-time job or began military service. 64% of participants had received a GED or high school diploma, and 72.8% had completed career technical training, and are higher than the national average.

“Job Corps puts young people on the path to the American dream through hard work and education. Not only does it set them up for economic success – it gives them the accomplishment, pride, and purpose that comes from earning a diploma or technical certification, and beginning a meaningful career,” Congressman Cuellar said. “In my district, the Laredo Job Corps Center serves hundreds of young people every year who become valued members of our community. That’s why I am a former Co-Chair of the Friend of Job Corps Congressional Caucus, and why I added $15 million in additional funding this year, for a total of $1.7 billion.”

The Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos is the largest Job Corps location in the state, and is operated by the Management & Training Corporation, whose Vice President, Celeste McDonald.

“We are so grateful to Rep. Cuellar for his relentless support of Job Corps,” McDonald said. “As the operator of the Gary Job Corps in San Marcos, TX, which has the capacity to train over 1,400 students, we are committed to the success of every student. In the last program year, over 76% of all students earned a primary industry-recognized certification–the greatest predictor of job success. Over 87% of graduates are currently employed in high growth industries. Job Corps works, and so do its graduates!”

The provisions are part of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2017, which passed the House of Representatives last month and funds the federal government for the remainder of the 2017 fiscal year.

Randolph Goodman, the Business Community Liaison for the San Marcos Gary Job Corps stated, “Congressman Henry Cuellar has been a member of the Friends of Job Corps Congressional Caucus for over 10 years and has served as the Co-Chair of the Caucus. I am so proud to call him my friend.”

Other members of the Caucus from Texas are; Congressmen;  Joaquin Castro, Lloyd Doggett, Al Green, Gene Green, Vicente Gonzalez, Will Hurd, Beto O’Rourke, Pete Sessions, Lamar Smith, Marc Veasey, Filemon Vela, Roger Williams, and Congresswomen;  Sheila Jackson Lee, and Eddie Bernice Johnson. 

For more information on Job Corps, call (800) 733-5627. Job Corps recruiting website in English (https://recruiting.jobcorps.gov/) and Spanish (https://recruiting.jobcorps.gov/Home/Index).