A $1,186,848 U.S. Department of Labor grant was recently awarded to Clackamas Community College to pilot a Job Corps Scholars Program, a new project aimed at providing at-risk youth with job skills instruction, educational opportunities and individualized employment counseling.
“As we look toward defeating the coronavirus and reopening our economy, the Job Corps Scholars Program provides an innovative way to prepare at-risk youth for participation in the job market,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia said. “Combining job training, classroom education and employment counseling will give participating young adults an opportunity to excel.”
At Clackamas Community College, the three-year grant will be used to enroll 80 Job Corps-eligible youth (ages 16-24) in a 12-month career technical training program.
Job Corps is a program administered by the United States Department of Labor that offers free education and vocational training to young people. Along with the training, students will receive wraparound counseling services to support and facilitate their employment and career success.
Students will be enrolled in two cohorts of 40 each. They can earn career technical certificates while participating in on-campus activities including assessments, developing training and employment plans and engaging in supportive student life activities.
Specific skills taught alongside program training include time management, navigating college resources, financial literacy, stress management, goal setting and how to research career opportunities.
Career training programs the grant will focus on include, but are not limited to, computer numerical control (CNC) operator technician and CNC machining, certified nursing assistant (CNA), renewable energy technician, water and environmental technician, welding and wildland fire/fire science.
The Job Corps Scholars program will be leveraged with the college’s TechHire grant and Workforce Development Services program, which is the county’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act-funded adult and dislocated worker contractor.
“CCC already has an established relationship with the local Timber Lake Job Corps center, which means the program will benefit from experienced staff, proven workforce and employment programs with strong ties to local employers and college career training programs with the full range of college student support options,” said Shalee Hodgson, associate dean of technology, applied science and public services..
The Clackamas Community College Job Corps Scholars Program is expected to launch this summer. For questions regarding the program, contact Tom Brown at thomasb@clackamas.edu or 503-594-3956.
