[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 18, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1634]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO THE JOB CORPS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ED WHITFIELD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 18, 1996

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for Job 
Corps and to commend the students and staff who participate in this 
remarkable program.
  The largest Job Corps facility is located in my district. The Earle 
C. Clements Job Corps Center in Morganfield, KY, serves over 3,000 
disadvantaged youth annually. Nationally, over 60,000 students benefit 
from this program.
  Their mission is to provide quality job training in a student-
oriented program. By targeting the needs of students to prepare them 
for the job market, Job Corps is providing a dual service--to the young 
men and women enrolled in training programs and to our society. It 
serves students by giving them the skills and esteem they need to 
become more responsible, employable and productive citizens. It also 
serves society by providing training to individuals who otherwise might 
not have the skills needed to hold a job or pursue a career. Students 
more than return the Government's investment in them through taxes they 
will later pay and reduced welfare, unemployment, and criminal justice 
costs.
  Job Corps students also have an impact on local communities. In the 
past 5 years, students have contributed over $42 million nationwide.
  In my district alone, Clements Job Corps Center students have 
constructed four houses in conjunction with the habitat for humanity 
program. The Student Government Association sponsors teams that 
annually participate in the local March of Dimes WalkAmerica and 
American Cancer Society Walk-a-thon. Students learning heavy equipment 
operations at the Clements center's satellite campus saved Hopkins 
County over $40,000 in equipment lease costs and manpower by 
constructing a water-retaining basin and earthen dam as the county 
closed its landfill, while they learned the skills that will lead them 
into productive careers.
  Job Corps offers these students the opportunity to succeed.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a program that works. National statistics show 
that last year 73 percent of all Job Corps participants found jobs or 
pursued higher education. Forty-six percent of those eligible obtained 
their GED.
  The results at the Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center topped these 
national averages. At the Clements center, 83 percent of all 
participants found jobs or went on to higher education. This is 
impressive considering that 80 percent of the students were high school 
dropouts and 37 percent came from families on public assistance.
  Across my district, business owners and management complain about the 
lack of skilled workers in the labor force. Job Corps helps meet that 
demand by providing individuals specialized training in such trades as 
carpentry, auto mechanics, computer repair, and health occupations. 
Students also learn social skills to complement their training.
  Mr. Speaker, Job Corps is a success story. Learning about the 
Clements Job Corps Center and the entire national program has been an 
enriching experience for me. It is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to honor the dedicated staff and hard-working students at the 
Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center, who are having a positive impact on 
their community while taking the first step toward living the American 
dream.

                          ____________________