As we reported a couple of weeks ago, a pilot program between Job Corps and MTC-operated Earle C. Clements and Clearfield centers is off to a great start! The program places graduates in jobs with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Clearfield Job Corps was recently featured in FEMA’s weekly newsletter. Read below to see the full story and congratulations Thaddaeus Vasquez!

FEMA and Job Corps Program Announce First Graduate

Thaddaeus Vasquez, an operations support reservist, is the first graduate of FEMA’s and Job Corps program that provides training to young adults interested in emergency management.

Last year FEMA and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Job Corps signed a memorandum of understanding that created the Job Corps Emergency Management Advance Training Program.

The program consists of about three months of advanced emergency management training, turning Job Corps students into mission-ready emergency management specialists and site inspectors. The program also helps eligible young people ages 16 through 24 complete their high school education trains them for meaningful careers and assists them with finding jobs.

The program is now celebrating its first graduate, Thaddaeus Vasquez. Thaddaeus joined in December after a teacher reached out to tell him about the program.

After finishing his training, he joined FEMA as a Public Assistance cadre operations support specialist reservist.

The FEMA core values of compassion, fairness, integrity and respect resonated with Thaddaeus. He noted that working as a caretaker for a 99-year-old veteran was what ultimately inspired him to join FEMA.

“I think my time caring for him helped me see what I enjoy doing in life,” said Thaddaeus. “Sure, it’s nice to have a well-paying job. But I want my job to matter at the end of the day, and not be something just anyone can do — I want to help people and show them that I am there.”

Thaddaeus is currently deployed in Alabama, supporting the local government at a recently opened vaccination site.

The second cohort of this pilot program has already started. FEMA employees, along with state, local, tribal and territorial partners who have questions or are interested in learning more about this initiative may contact Kelly.Wiley@fema.dhs.gov. Young Americans interested in Job Corps should reach out to jobcorps.gov.