Job Corps gets visit from congressional staffers

PALMER -- The Alaska Job Corps Center in Palmer was visited in late August by staffers who work for congressional members from New Mexico, North Dakota, Road Island, Alaska, Mississippi and Maryland. Those staffers, plus a member of the governor of New Hampshire's team, researchers from the House Education and Workforce Committee and the Senate and House Appropriation Committee, visited the campus as part of an outreach from the National Job Corps Association to bring decision-makers to areas they are making decisions about.

"We do two tours each year for congressional staff to get out of Washington and come see for themselves how Job Corps works," said Catriona MacDonald, the vice president of policy for the NJCA. "They are overly impressed; they are overwhelmed by the students."

Job Corps is a residential education and vocational training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 to 24, made possible by funding from the federal government. Students pay nothing to get the training provided by the program, and leave with the confidence and skills needed to enter the world of work.

MacDonald said NJCA is trying to convince Congress to give Job Corps a small increase in funding to help pay for the needs of existing campuses, a request made by the president to Congress. Congress has already increased the budget slightly to build two new Job Corps campuses; MacDonald said she hopes this trip helps with the other increase.

"We are concerned about the budget," MacDonald said. "Hopefully now the money for existing centers will be provided."

Jessica Cahill, the student government president at Palmer Job Corps, is one of many students who have benefited from past funding provided for Job Corps.

"This place really enriched me," said the single mother, who has completed the electrical program at the campus and is now taking the electrical engineering program at Mat-Su College. "It's a great program."

Monica Milbradt, the training manager at Palmer Job Corps, said the visit from Congress staffers has proven how great the program has been in Alaska.

"I think it has been a real success," Milbradt said. "They seemed pleasantly pleased, they saw what they wanted to see."

Part of the tour included a luncheon with community members who shared their stories of how Job Corps is enriching Valley life. Projects such as the Community Youth Mapping Project, Girl Scout camps in small Alaska villages, the city of Palmer's computer upkeep and construction of numerous buildings would not have been possible without the help of Job Corps

volunteers.

"Palmer would not have a playground without Job Corps," said Janet Kincaid, a Salvation Army volunteer.

MacDonald also acknowledged the local feedback and support for Job Corps helped impress the staffers.

"You can't have a great Job Corps without a great community," she said.