The Board Members of SVEDC, Shoshone County Commissioners and Congressman Minnick's Office are currently pursueing a US Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center. These centers provide education, vocational training, work experience and counseling for disadvantaged or at risk youth. The US Forest Service operates 20 of these centers throughout the US and there is a possibility of opening another here in the Silver Valley if there is local support for such a project.

For over forty years Job Corps has been the nation’s largest and most successful workforce training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 through 24. Job Corps is an open-entry, open-exit alternative education program that provides self-paced, hands-on academic and vocational instruction to students in a disciplined residential setting. Since 1989, Congress has consistently provided funding to open new Job Corps campuses. Most recently, the Congress included language in the FY 2010 Omnibus Appropriations bill that directs the Department of Labor to initiate a competition for two new Job Corps centers, one in a fast-growing metropolitan community and another in a rural community. As Job Corps continues to expand, the Silver Valley must consider the benefits a Job Corps center would bring to our community.

Economic Benefits

• A $25 million initial investment for the design and construction of the center;
• A $10-20 million annual federal investment for center operations;
• $1.91 in local economic activity for every dollar spent by a Job Corps center;
• Approximately 24 local jobs created for every million dollars a Job Corps center spends;
• A pipeline of skilled entry-level workers for local businesses; and
• Recovery of some of the billions of dollars in wages, taxes and productivity that states lose when young Americans fail to complete their high school education.

• Each year more than 20,000 high school drop-outs attain a high school diploma or general equivalency degree through Job Corps; and
• Students on average improve their math skills by 2.4 grade levels, and their reading by 2.6 grade levels in less than 9 months.

• Over 90 percent of Job Corps graduates enter employment, the military or higher education after exiting the program; and
• Compared to a similar cohort of youth, youth that attend Job Corps are less likely to be on public assistance and less likely to be involved in criminal activities.

• Job Corps students perform thousands of hours of community service; and
• Job Corps centers are federally owned facilities that often double as community centers and facilities that can be leveraged by community organizations.

Job Corps has earned unprecedented bi-partisan support for more than 40 years.

• “Difficult economic times bring hardships to young people trying to get into the workforce. Job Corps is a vital program providing employment and training to disadvantaged young Americans, which why I am asking Congress to expand the good work of Job Corps.” – President George W. Bush
• “Job Corps is a program that works…I have always been an advocate for funding for Job Corps. I think Job Corps is really something that has been proven.” – Senator Harry Reid