Opportunities, but few applicants, at Job Corps

By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer

A federal program that provides young adults in Hawai'i with free housing, childcare, medical coverage, transportation — even an allowance and guaranteed job placement — is struggling to find applicants, flying students in from the Marshall Islands and other areas in the Pacific to fill spaces.

The Job Corps is teaching Vincent Schmidt, Stanley Kinjan, Derick Mendoza and Carl Capelle woodworking skills to prepare them for jobs in the facility maintenance trade. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

But the program has hard a time filling its seats with Hawai'i students who could be enrolled had they only applied for admission.

Part of the problem is the lingering image of the Job Corps from the 1970s, when it was used across the country as an alternative to juvenile hall. That's made it difficult for the program to persuade many qualified students to attend.

"People say that Job Corps is the best kept secret," said Tessa Judd, director of regional marketing and public relations for Job Corps sites in Hawai'i, California, Nevada and Arizona. "I have to remind people that that's not a good thing. It's not our selling point."

Off the highway in Waimanalo, tucked in the shadow of the Ko'olau, the Hawai'i Job Corps Center helps about 250 students at a time, on a large campus that goes virtually unnoticed by O'ahu residents.

While the O'ahu campus is usually full, the Job Corps has to aggressively recruit students for the program here and across the country.

"There are many different programs for youth today," Judd said. "Many of them target the same audience. It's a national challenge. We should be a household name."

Also, enrollment typically falls around this time of year because more students are inclined to drop out or find jobs elsewhere during Thanksgiving and Christmas, Judd said.

Judy McKeague, business and community liaison for Job Corps, said the program many times has to overcome old stereotypes about the kind of students who attend.

"Now we're trying to take a new tack and shake that image," McKeague said. "Judges have not referred people here for years."

At Job Corps, which McKeague likens to an "immersion" program in career readiness, students learn responsibility, job etiquette, interviewing skills and the social skills that come with entering an ethnically diverse campus.

McKeague said many students go into a kind of culture shock, because the Job Corps campus comes with plenty of structure and rules — like requiring students to be everywhere on time — and a no-tolerance policy for things like fighting, drinking or drug use.

"We talk a lot about commitment," McKeague said. "These are people who have failed in the traditional educational setting. Part of that is a lack of commitment."

To enter, students must come from a low-income background and have a need for job training. Many who attend are high school dropouts or welfare recipients who have never held a steady job.

Once they are accepted, they can learn vocational trades ranging from auto repair or landscaping to painting, facility maintenance, culinary arts or business technology, which includes retail, reception work and basic computer skills.

Or students, like Erin Powers, 21, a mother of two whose husband is in the military, can use the Job Corps as a starting point for college. Powers wanted to attend college when her family was stationed in Hawai'i, but discovered it would be too expensive. A neighbor told her about the Job Corps.

"I couldn't afford childcare," Powers said. "I know I could get grants, but it's not enough."

She tested so high on the entrance exam that instructors pulled her aside and put her on a college track instead. She's been in the program just weeks, but will start school at Kapi'olani Community College next semester and pursue a degree in nursing.

"If you do well, if you have ambition, they'll help you a lot," she said.

Nationally, 66,000 students are enrolled in the program each year, and about 80 percent are placed in jobs or enrolled in full-time education.

Enrollment is ongoing; a new group of students is accepted every two weeks. And when people enter, they're treated to a four-week course with Aubie Brennan, who is part motivational speaker, part career preparation teacher.

Signs posted around his room give students goals to strive for and advice: "I will take full responsibility. I will be open to change. I won't just work hard. I will work smart."

Brennan teaches students how to set goals, whether it's to quit smoking or buy a house.

"This is really important," Brennan tells his class. "People spend a lot of money every year paying people to set goals for them, with personal trainers and financial advisers. If you can follow these steps yourself, you can probably get what you want."

Students typically stay at Job Corps for a year, although the time spent depends on the individual and can last for as long as two years. When students leave, the Job Corps provides assistance on medical coverage and other services for up to a year.

"We do everything," McKeague said. "It's a commitment between Job Corps and the student. We don't just cut people off when they leave."

Enrollees in Job Corps must be:

• 16 to 24 years old
• From a low-income background
• In need of training to get quality employment
• Free of any involvement with law enforcement authorities or the courts
• Able to give 100 percent to a rigorous, structured training program

The benefits:

• Training for a job, college or the military
• A high school diploma, if needed
• A driver's license
• A clean, safe place to live or transportation to campus
• Childcare
• A cash allowance every two weeks
• Money after the program to ease the transition to independent living
• A staff that helps first job placement

For more information about the Hawai'i Job Corps Center, call:

• O'ahu 259-6005 or 545-4019
• Maui 579-8450, Ext. 251
• Neighbor Islands (800) 727-7413

Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.