[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 131 (Monday, September 15, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  ON THE OCCASION OF THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JOB CORPS PROGRAM

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                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 15, 2014

  Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 
50th Anniversary of the Job Corps program, which was founded in 1965 as 
a key part of President Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty. Founded with 
the mission of empowering youth, ages 16 through 24, from disadvantaged 
backgrounds to improve their own quality of life, the Detroit Job Corps 
Center has been a vital part of the Southeast Michigan region by 
providing vocational and academic training.
  Created under the administration of the U.S. Department of Labor 
under the Economic Opportunity Act, the dedicated staff of the Job 
Corps program have been working for half of a century to address the 
many different barriers that youth encounter in their efforts to obtain 
employment and attain independence. By providing youth with a 
combination of academic, vocational, and work-based learning 
experiences, alongside assistance with resume writing and interview 
preparation, the Job Corps program helps its students develop the tools 
they need to find stable, long-term, and well-paying jobs. Today, 125 
Job Corps centers across the United States serve more than 60,000 youth 
annually, ensuring that employment is a goal that can be obtained 
regardless of one's personal circumstances.
  To carry out the mission of the Job Corps program locally, the 
Detroit Job Corps Center has engaged with an extensive network of 
community stakeholders in Southeast Michigan; which allows it to offer 
its students a wide array of experiences as they seek to build their 
skills and determine their future career path. Among its partners are 
Quicken Loans, the United Auto Workers, the NAACP, many local elected 
officials, Southwest Solutions and the Wayne County Department of 
Homeland Security. With these connections, the Detroit Job Corps Center 
has been able to offer its students internships and community service 
activities with organizations that are making a difference in the 
Southeast Michigan region, organizations like: the Greening of Detroit, 
the United Way of Southeast Michigan, Forgotten Harvest and the U.S. 
Veterans Administration.
  The record of Detroit Job Corps Center is embodied in the success of 
its graduates, 95 percent of whom end up obtaining a college degree, 
pursuing advanced training, finding fulltime employment or serving our 
nation in the Armed Forces. Of the 125 Job Corps centers across the 
nation, the Detroit center ranks second in graduate ranking and sixth 
in overall program ranking for the 2013-2014 period. In recognition of 
its success, the Detroit Job Corps Center has received a National Job 
Corps Gold Star Award for outstanding achievement each year since 2010.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 
remarkable impact the Job Corps program has made over the last 50 years 
and it is my pleasure to specifically recognize the Detroit Job Corps 
Center for the work it has done to empower youth in the Southeast 
Michigan community to build a better future for themselves. As our 
economy becomes increasingly knowledge-based, the value and power of an 
education takes on an ever-growing importance. The work of the Job 
Corps program and the Detroit Job Corps Center is vital to ensuring 
that a quality education is available to all youth in our communities, 
regardless of their background or circumstances. I congratulate the 
Detroit Job Corps Center on its many achievements and wish its staff 
continued success in fulfilling the mission of the Job Corps program 
and realizing President Lyndon Johnson's dream of an America free of 
poverty.

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