It’s been 58 years this August since we first welcomed students like you to the Job Corps program. I’m proud to say that we’ve helped almost 3 million students on the path to a meaningful career. While I’m sure we could do some math to figure out how many hours of career training that all adds up to, I would rather think about it in terms of things that can’t be measured.
The anticipation and excitement of the first day on campus. The feeling of rightness when you pick your training area. The spark of understanding when something in class finally makes sense. Moments of laughter and camaraderie among friends. That sense of pride when you graduate, when you land a great job in your career field—when you think back, years later, of your time at Job Corps.
We can’t track any of these numbers in a spreadsheet, but I know they’re all huge. It’s all those joyful memories that you’re creating right now that make Job Corps what it is. I hope that, as much as your career training, is what you carry into the world with you after graduation.
Now let’s meet two of our Job Corps alumni from over the years making an impact on the workforce.