Job Corps training young people for job market

Day in and out, the staff at Flint Genesee Job Corps Center get hundreds of young men and women ready to enter the job market. Despite Michigan's high unemployment rate, graduates of Flint Genesee Job Corps are finding employment in varied fields — from painters or carpenters to dental or pharmacy assistants.

Its 12-month job placement of more than 93 percent of students tops the national average.

Most students live on the campus that houses about 360 students in three dormitories, including one for single parents and their children. They also have child care on campus for students with children, a wellness department, recreation department and a dining hall that serves three meals a day.

It offers self-paced free education and training for young people who want to learn a trade, earn a high school diploma or GED, find and keep a good job or move up to higher education or to the military. Students 16 to 24 and who qualify as having a "low income" are eligible.

Verona Terry, business community liaison, is responsible for involving the community and working with organizations and businesses that keep the school relevant and its students employable.

"We teach 12 trades and vocations," Terry said, "and we work with Mott Community College in several areas."

The trades and vocations include bricklaying, carpentry, clinical medical assistant, computer technician, dental assistant, hotel and hospitality, nurse assistant or home health aide, office administration, painting, pharmacy technician, retail sales and security and protective services.

It's hands-on learning for students in the minidental lab where they learn to develop X-rays, or in the minihospital and hotel room where students learn to make a bed in less than two minutes.

There are plenty of paint jobs around the campus to keep the paint squad busy and computers for the tech students to upgrade. The well-kept grounds are covered with masonry benches and flower boxes created by masonry students. The utility garage is a product of the carpenter's lab.

Job Corps also works with the Federal Homeland Security office for students enrolled in their security and protective services program.

Terry recently returned from a trip with the student senate visiting U.S. Sen. Carl Levin's Detroit office.

"Students had a chance to do some job shadowing and learned how our government works. We also have students working at the 68^th District Court," Terry explained.

Other local places where students gain experience include Habitat of Humanity, Holiday Inn, Loving Hands, McLaren Homewood Village and Community Health Service.

"Students also volunteer for various community events like the CRIM, Back to the Bricks, mural painting, blood drives and collections for U.S. soldiers," Terry added.

How can the community help in this effort?

"By opening their doors to allow students to learn more about their organizations and businesses," said Terry. "Even if a business is not hiring, the student is able to learn the expectations of the job. We have quite a few speakers who come to our center to make presentations to students or mentor, which is really beneficial and appreciated."

"We're always looking for donations of food and diapers for our students living in single-parent dorms," Terry said, "and foster grandparents are welcome at our child care facility."

"The National Job Corps program has been one of the best-kept secrets in vocational education and training for over 45 years," said Jean Hill, Flint Genesee Job Corps center director. "People tend to think it is a last chance for youth. It's quite the contrary. Job Corps is a young person's best chance at change."

Local groups that work with the center include Habitat for Humanity, Chase Bank, Holiday Inn, Hispanic Technology Center, Headstart, abc12, Cumulus Broadcasting, the Flint Journal, STRIVE, Habitat of Humanity, East Side Business Association, the Junior League of Flint and American Medical Society.

The center is operated by Alutiiq Professional Services and ResCare under a contract from the U.S. Department of Labor's Job Corps office.

Visit www.flintgenesee.jobcorps.gov for more information.