Job Corps Overview
Job Corps is a voluntary, primarily residential career training program for 16 to 24 year old students. The U.S. Department of Labor administers the program to meet educational and career technical training needs of economically disadvantaged youth. Established in 1964 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty, Job Corps to date has trained and educated more than two million young people. The program currently serves nearly 65,000 young Americans each year.
WHAT IS MTC’S ROLE IN JOB CORPS?
MTC is the largest Job Corps contractor with the U.S. Department of Labor. MTC manages and operates multiple Job Corps centers in 15 states, as well as several contracts for recruitment and placement of students across the U.S. MTC trains approximately 12,000 students annually at the centers it operates.
MTC’s size allows access to unique technical specialists and expertise. The depth of MTC’s executive team, corporate university, and research institute ensures experts are on hand to find innovative solutions and to share best practices for training young adults for tomorrow’s workforce.
WHO DOES JOB CORPS SERVE?
Because Job Corps is a voluntary program, applicants are referred by school counselors, WIA One-stop employment center providers, local and state employment services, social service agencies, and other schools. Many applicants self-refer as they look for ways to obtain needed training. America’s youth must meet the following requirements to enroll in the program:
- Be 16 through 24 years of age
- Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident
- Meet income requirements
- Be willing to work and learn in a drug-free and violence-free environment
- Be ready, willing, and able to participate fully in an educational environment
Job Corps participants arrive from a variety of backgrounds and with many different life experiences. Some have completed high school but lack the fiscal resources for career training. Some have completed initial college course work but were unable to further their education. Many have dropped out of high school. Some have had prior employment experience, while others have none. Job Corps students also enter the program with varying levels of knowledge and skills. All need additional education and career training to become productive members of society.
WHAT DO JOB CORPS STUDENTS LEARN?
Job Corps focuses its efforts primarily in three learning arenas: academic education, career and technical skills training, and employability skills development. For graduates to be successful in the work environment, they must have mastery of specific skills in all three areas. Job Corps’ goal is to produce literate, technically-skilled, and well-rounded employees for America’s workforce.
For more information on MTC Job Corps, please go to Job Corps At-a-Glance.