Job Corps 1964-2004

"For the million young men and women who are out of school and who are out of work, this program will permit us to take them off the street, put them into work training programs, to prepare them for productive lives, not wasted lives."

— President Lyndon B. Johnson

"Job Corps has helped many undecided, lost young people get a running start in life. I was one of those troubled youths whose life was saved and given a second chance in life because of Job Corps."

— George Foreman

1964

President Johnson declares war on poverty

Sargent Shriver is appointed as director of the Office of Economic Opportunity.

President Johnson signs the Economic Opportunity Act into law and authorizes Job Corps

Congress appropriates $290 million for Job Corps.

Otis Singletary is named director of Job Corps.

1965

The first Job Corps center is inaugurated at Camp Catoctin, Md., with 30 students and 14 staff members.

The first women's center opens in Cleveland, Ohio.

Job Corps grows to 87 centers and serves 16,968.

1966

 The first center in Puerto Rico opens at Vieques.

 

1968

   Job Corps has 33,013 students and a budget of $282.3 million.

1969

Job Corps is transferred from the Office of Economic Opportunity to the Department of Labor

1970

The first coeducational center opens in Tongue Point, Oregon.

1971

The first onsite daycare facility opens at Atlanta Job Corps Center.

 

"Job Corps has a proven track record of placing 90 percent of its graduates in a job, postsecondary education, or the military. Job Corps works. . .  What's the cost of not funding the program? How much do we spend on our prisons or on treating drug abuse?"

• Representative Carl Perkins

1973

The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act gives state and local governments the authority to develop and manage job-training program.

 Job Corps forms 10 regional offices.

Eight Job Corps centers are opened to serve Spanish-speaking youths.

1974

Job Corps marks serving its 500,000th student.

1977

President Carter announces funding of $342 million for Job Corps.

Job Corps has 22,000 slots for eligible students.

 

1980

Job Corps budget is $560 million.

1982

The Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) is passed.

An economic impact study finds that Job Corps is cost-effective.*

The number of slots increases to 41,000 for eligible students.

Findings from the 1982 study

     Job Corps students earned on average 15 percent more per year than comparable non-participants.

     Job Corps students obtained high school diplomas or GEDs 27 percent more often than non-participants of the same age and economic circumstances. *  For every dollar spent on Job Corps students, $1.46 is returned to society

 

"My life had reached an all-time low. .. I aimlessly roamed the streets of Tampa. I saw an advertisement for Job Corps in a dollar movie theater that I slept in from time to time. . . I called one morning. I was the first student to obtain the [GED] at Homestead. I attained my Microsoft A+ certification. Now I plan to obtain my master's in computer engineering."

• James Williams

Homestead Job Corps Center Graduate

1990

Congress calls for long-term expansion of Job Corps, and the 50-50 Plan is launched.

Social skills training begins at Atterbury, Ind., Columbia Basin, Wash., and Phoenix, Ariz.

The parenting program becomes a mandatory part of the curricula.

 

1991

Computer-managed instruction begins at Gary, Texas, Clearfield, Utah, and Schenke, N.C.

1992

Job Corps institutes an online, real-time data system.

Job Corps introduces performance-related student pay, incentives, and bonuses.

1993

Job Corps has 108 centers nationwide and serves more than 60,000 new students each year.

An amendment to the JTPA raises the portion of slots for nonresidents to 20 percent.

1996

About 1,000 counselors from 86 contractors provide outreach and admissions service.

1998

The National Employer Partnership program is initiated.

Congress passes the Workforce Investment Act, which supersedes the JTPA.

2001

A rigorous national evaluation finds that the Job Corps program is a solid investment—returning $2.02 for every dollar spent.*

The Career Development Services System is implemented. 

A Memorandum of Understanding is signed by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education, resulting in 18,280 Job Corps students receiving either high school diplomas or general educational development certificates (GEDs).

Several Job Corps centers established special information technology training academies. More than 5,000 staff members of Job Corps have been trained to use video-conferencing systems.

The Job Corps Executive Management Program (JCEMP) is established at Minot State University in Minot, N.D. The program pays for tuition, books and room fees for three semesters of graduate study to prepare junior-level staff for senior positions.

*Findings from the 2001 evaluation:

Society profits by about $17,000 for each youth that it sends to Job Corps

Job Corps participants receive about 1,000 hours of additional education and training - approximately the number of hours in a 10-month school year.

Participants gain an average of $1,150 (12 percent) in earnings.

"Job Corps is a vital program providing employment training to more than 72,000 disadvantaged young Americans, which is why I am asking Congress to expand the good work of Job Corps."

— President George W. Bush