On the recordApril 15, 2015
I am pleased to join Senator King in recognizing the Job Corps program on its 50th anniversary. Job Corps helps at-risk young people ages 16 through 24 improve the quality of their lives through vocational and academic training. On August 30, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation creating Job Corps. Today, one-half century later, generations of graduates in Maine and across America demonstrate why Job Corps has been one of our Nation's best investments. Since its founding, more than 2.7 million young people have entered the Job Corps program with the determination to succeed and have graduated with the confidence and the skills to do so. The success rate is extraordinary. Nearly 86 percent of Job Corps graduates find employment in their fields, go on to higher education or serve our country in uniform. Job Corps students do not just learn a trade--they cultivate high aspirations and a commitment to service. As I travel throughout Maine, I have extensive conversations with small business owners and workers about the challenges they face. While there is no doubt that our Nation's unemployment rate remains unacceptably high, I have met with employers in Maine who have jobs available but who cannot find qualified and trained workers to fill these vacant positions.…





