[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 64 (Friday, May 20, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      CONGRATULATIONS TO JOB CORPS

                                 ______


                            HON. LYNN SCHENK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 20, 1994

  Ms. SCHENK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support and applaud the 
efforts of the Job Corps centers in my State. Job Corps is a Federal 
program which offers education, job training, basic health care, 24-
hour residential supervision, and counseling to our Nation's at-risk 
youths. The six Job Corps centers in my State of California serve 
approximately 6,000 disadvantaged young people annually. Every year, 
2,300 young women and 2,600 young men get jobs or enroll in higher 
education after receiving basic education and job training through Job 
Corps. My State's Job Corps centers train young people in over 50 
trades, as well as offering parenting classes and social skills 
training.
  I am pleased to add that there is a highly successfully Job Corps 
center in the community of Imperial Beach in my district. Founded in 
1978, this center boasts an impressive 85 percent placement rate for 
these at-risk youth in either jobs or educational programs. The 650 
students currently enrolled perform services for various nonprofits in 
the community. Last year it was estimated that San Diego Job Corps 
donated more than $10,000 in services and construction in our 
community.
  This year, Job Corps celebrates its 30th anniversary. This Federal 
program has been operating in California for 29 years and is a great 
boon to my State for both its economic and social contributions. The 
program means so much to our at-risk young people who want to turn 
their lives around and break the cycle of poverty, dependence and lack 
of education. Job Corps makes them self-sufficient, employed tax-paying 
citizens. Economically, each Job Corps center offers about 140 jobs for 
people from the community. Job Corps students, as part of their 
training, complete over $22 million in free community service 
construction projects nationwide each year.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to salute all the students who choose to 
enter this outstanding program. I commend the committed Job Corps staff 
who work so hard. No wonder this program has an almost 30-year track 
record of success and returns $1.46 from every dollar invested.
  I am so proud of Job Corps in California. I believe we need more Job 
Corps centers to help more young people face their challenges and 
become productive citizens. That is why I support the enrichment and 
long-term expansion of this much-needed program through the Job Corps 
50-50 plan, a long-term initiative to enrich existing services and to 
incrementally expand the program by building 50 new centers to serve 50 
percent more poor youth in the next decade.

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