The Job Corps is among the last of the remaining "Great Society" initiatives launched by President Lyndon Johnson in the mid-1960's.
The program is administered by the US Department of Labor with an annual budget in excess of a billion dollars. Approximately 120 centers are strategically scattered across the country, in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. One of those centers is in Oneonta.
We spoke with Philmon Carpenter, Outreach and Admissions Counselor, 
about the program and the unique opportunity it offers both young people and businesses in the community.
Mr. Carpenter described the Oneonta Job Corps Academy as a vocational training facility for young people, ages 16 to 24. "We offer eleven trades," he stated, "in a residential setting, where students train [for a vocation] in conjunction with either working towards a high school diploma or GED." That training culminates in a certification of employability and the pursuit of a job.
According to Mr. Carpenter, "Job Corps is certainly a viable option for students in the surrounding counties - especially those who do not want to go to college."
"College is not for everyone, and there's nothing wrong with that. You have to set goals for yourself and look ahead into the future. They're making good money right now in the trades, so Job Corps is fantastic for the students in the area who are not college bound, but looking for more of a hands-on employment and something they can get into relatively quickly."
Asked about what services Job Corps provides its graduates, Carpenter described a process in which graduates are assigned a Career Transitions Specialist (CTS) who will work with them for up to 18-months following graduation. The CTS will help with housing issues, transportation, etcetera. "They'll help them find a job. And in the event they lose that job they'll help find another. So there's certainly support services all through the stay at Job Corps, as well as once a student completes our program."
For more information, call (607) 431-1445.
