[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5018]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       JOB CORPS 50TH ANNIVERSARY

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am pleased to join Senator King in 
recognizing the Job Corps program on its 50th anniversary. Job Corps 
helps at-risk young people ages 16 through 24 improve the quality of 
their lives through vocational and academic training. On August 30, 
1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation creating Job 
Corps. Today, one-half century later, generations of graduates in Maine 
and across America demonstrate why Job Corps has been one of our 
Nation's best investments.
  Since its founding, more than 2.7 million young people have entered 
the Job Corps program with the determination to succeed and have 
graduated with the confidence and the skills to do so. The success rate 
is extraordinary. Nearly 86 percent of Job Corps graduates find 
employment in their fields, go on to higher education or serve our 
country in uniform. Job Corps students do not just learn a trade--they 
cultivate high aspirations and a commitment to service.
  As I travel throughout Maine, I have extensive conversations with 
small business owners and workers about the challenges they face. While 
there is no doubt that our Nation's unemployment rate remains 
unacceptably high, I have met with employers in Maine who have jobs 
available but who cannot find qualified and trained workers to fill 
these vacant positions.
  With two centers in Maine, Job Corps not only helps young people in 
our State gain the skills that lead to rewarding careers, but it also 
improves their lives, assists employers, and strengthens communities. 
The Penobscot Job Corps Academy in Bangor, ME, and the Loring Job Corps 
Center in Limestone, ME, have the capability to serve nearly 800 at-
risk youth on a daily basis. Over the past several decades, these two 
centers have compiled an impressive record of success in preparing 
disadvantaged youth for the workplace or higher education.
  The combination of skills, self-confidence, and determination Job 
Corps offers can help young people overcome the setbacks, obstacles, 
and failures that often are part of life. The focus on community 
service at both centers helps to create the involved citizens that are 
so important to Maine's future. These centers put these young men and 
women on a path to being successful and vital contributing members of 
our country.
  Job Corps was founded on the noble idea that, if given the 
opportunity, the support, and the training, America's young people 
could overcome any obstacles and achieve. For 50 years, Job Corps 
graduates have turned that idea into reality. I congratulate Job Corps 
again on this accomplishment.
  Mr. KING. Mr. President, I join the senior Senator from Maine in 
congratulating Job Corps on 50 years of service to our country's youth. 
Across the Nation, Job Corps provides training and career skills to 
economically disadvantaged young adults, helping them attain a high 
school diploma or equivalent and career technical training to prepare 
them for success in today's job market. This program is extremely 
important, giving young people who need a second chance the opportunity 
to forge a better career for themselves through hard work and 
meaningful study.
  The Penobscot Job Corps Center in Bangor, ME, and the Loring Job 
Corps Center in Limestone, ME, have consistently proven to be 
outstanding assets to our State, helping young Mainers prepare to enter 
the workforce or pursue post-secondary education every year. Through a 
combination of unique learning experiences, these institutions are 
helping the next generation of Maine students work towards stable, 
long-term jobs.
  In October of 2013 I was proud to congratulate the Penobscot Job 
Corps Academy for its certification as a Center of Environmental 
Excellence. This distinction recognizes Job Corps campuses that show 
leadership in implementing Job Corps' guiding principles for high 
performance green buildings. At the time, the Penobscot Job Corps was 
one of only two centers in the country to receive this distinction.
  This initiative prompted Job Corps facilities across the United 
States to not only reduce their environmental impact, but to also teach 
their students to live and work sustainably. The skills and knowledge 
that students receive from this program will surely help them compete 
in an increasingly environmentally focused labor market.
  Job Corps centers are an important facet of our workforce development 
system and have a proven record of success in preparing disadvantaged 
students to obtain and hold a job or pursue opportunities in higher 
education. I wish Job Corps another 50 years of success, and I am proud 
of the many young people in Maine and across the country who have used 
this program to make a better life for themselves.
  The contributions of Maine's Job Corps centers simply cannot be 
overstated, and I look forward to watching their continued development.

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