U.S. Secretary of Labor tours Job Corps Sunday

PALMER — It’s not every day that the head of the U.S. Department of Labor plans a trip to the Valley.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez traveled to Alaska Saturday for a three-day swing through the state that included Sunday lunch and a tour of the Alaska Job Corps Center in Palmer.

Perez traveled to stops in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Palmer with U.S. Senator Mark Begich in celebration of the federal job training program’s 50th anniversary and in support of employment opportunities for veterans, job training, and the need to increase the national minimum wage.

President Barack Obama is set to sign the Workforce Investment Act today, Perez said, which reauthorizes funding for a range of workforce development programs, including the Job Corps.

“The Congress and the President have made the decision that Job Corps indispensible,” Perez told a scrum of TV news reporters outside the Women’s Dorm Sunday.

As an appropriator, Begich said he’s pleased to fund programs like Job Corps that invest in human capital to create opportunity.

“Having the Secretary here is an awesome opportunity for Alaskans,” he said. “This is a federal investment into our community. Students here are coming from all walks of life, from all over the state.”

Begich said he was one of the sponsors of a bill that would have increased the minimum wage to $10.10, but fell short of the 60 votes needed. He said he plans to vote in support of Alaska’s ballot question about increasing the state’s minimum wage.

By his math, Begich said 40,000 Alaskans would benefit from increasing the minimum wage.

“It would help get people out of poverty,” he said.

Begich said the 13 states that already have increased minimum wage with no federal incentives have seen more rapid job growth than the other group.

Employers benefit, too

During his two-hour tour, Perez visited several program classrooms, toured a dormitory, and spoke at a school assembly. He made a point to talk with students during the tour about their field of study and what had led them to Job Corps.

When he asked students what advice about Job Corps he should give the President when he sees him, students told him it should be a priority to re-open the family dorms.

Begich said he will keep this program need in mind as he works on the appropriations side.

“It’s important to keep families together,” he said.

Every student trained at Job Corps is prepared for a career that is in-demand in Alaska, Perez said.

Multiple times throughout the tour, Perez stated his belief that “every child is gifted and talented.” Job Corps is about building the skills in students they need to realize their dreams, he said.

“Hundreds of thousands of kids continue to benefit from these programs,” Perez said.

On the flip side, Job Corps benefits employers, too.

Take Jim Ridgeway of Anchorage Well and Pump Service, for example. He said he discovered the center was a valuable hiring resource for his company when it opened 20 years ago.

Since then he’s hired about a dozen Job Corps graduates.

“We’re really proud to have ‘em,” Ridgeway said. “They send us citizens that have the knowledge and discipline to do the job.”

Traveling with Ridgeway on was Job Corps graduate Warren Mielke who grew up in Wasilla and works for Anchorage Well and Pump Service.

“This is a good place for us to look to for water operators,” Ridgeway told Perez after presenting him with a mug from the American Water Works Association that says “No water No Coffee.”

Red, white and blue

Director Malyn Smith said the U.S. Secretary of Labor’s visit was nerve wracking, but wonderful for center staff and students.

“This is a very fulfilling day for all of us here,” she said, introducing the Secretary Perez at the assembly.

Perez told students it was an honor to visit their campus and share a meal in their dining hall. He said he felt inspired by conversations he had with students, staff and community members during the visit.

“This is one of the highest performing centers in the country,” he said. “This has been a remarkable site that gives opportunities to young people who’ve had challenging lives.”

Perez seemingly has a gift for remember people, their stories and their faces.

“You are going to be a great accountant,” he said, hunting for the woman who’d shared her dream with him in conversation. “You are going to join the Navy,” he said, remembering another student’s story. “You guys are going to do great. You guys have knowledge and wisdom.”

Knowledge comes from classes, he said. Wisdom comes from life, learning how to take a punch, Perez said.

“Sometimes things happen in your life,” he said. “The fact that you found Job Corps and you are at Job Corps tells me you want to have a productive life.”

He closed his remarks by reminding students that with this opportunity comes responsibility.

“For the rest of your lives you aren’t just an employee. You are an ambassador,” Perez said. “You are coming out of here as part of something even bigger.”

The Secretary said investing in job training programs isn’t about red states or blue states.

“It’s about red, white and blue,” he said. “We all believe in you. Put these skills to work and the sky is the limit.”

Contact Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.