Job Corps?

[cowbelle]

Has anyone had experience with the Job Corps for young men who don't do well in the normal school situation. My grandson just turned 18 and quit school. He's never done well because of learning problems due to oxygen deprivation during surgery for a cancer of the throat, 10 yrs ago. He lost almost two years of school due to chemo, and just never could catch up and is now embarrassed to try, I think. He's very normal in most ways but has trouble reading - can read very slowly. He's great at figuring things out and fixing things. I saw something about the Job Corps and it sounds like it might work for him - there's even a center not too far from us. I'll call for the brochure and everything, but wondered if anyone has experience with the program.

[ldc]

Here, I believe it's called "Americorps" now. In the community garden program, we've had these great young people for a year or so at a time. About 3 years ago they received a stipend for 9K/yr plus health insurance. Very cheerful and hardworking. Hope it works out for your grandson!

[BamaNana]

My son went to it. He hated it.
But, that was 24 years ago. He went to the one in Gainseville Fl., where a lot of inner city kids from the big cities went. They would prey on and attack the other kids at night.. When he came home for Christmas break, his arms had burns all over them from where they would heat up a Bic lighter, then hold him down and burn it into his arms. He did not got back there.
He's almost forty now and still has the terrible scars.

Like I said, that was 24 years ago and in Fl, so your local one may be fine. Back then I found out too late that there are good facilities and bad ones, and after my son's experience with a bad place he wouldn't try a different one.

Make sure to check with recent graduates or attendees from the facility he would be attending.

[oldmanriver]

worked at one a long time ago advise don't send him find a local state trade school

[Alice In TX/MO]

The only experience I have is what one of my former students told me probably fifteen years ago. It was full of gangsta kids and drugs.

[wildwanderer]

I did two years in Job Corps it was an experience but I was able to complete my trade and do three semesters in college. If he wants he can complete his GED get a trade and possibly get advanced training. You get room, food, clothing allowance and a little spending money. You get evaluated quite regularly and it gives you priviledges by getting good review (was very easy to keep good score) It was a do it at your own pace program when I went through make certain the place he goes has the trade he wants to study. The recruiter is not always on your side they get paid per student so you have to be proactive. Take care and any questions I can answer I will I however am ten years out - Thea

[cowbelle]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll give the info to my daughter, who has been his most positive supporter all along. I'm sure it could be not-so-good, but maybe an answer to a real problem. I don't have unrealistic goals for him, but I sure would like to see him succeeding at some trade. The few small jobs he's had - at a nursery, a fish store, a carnival, have all praised him highly - he learns well by hearing or being shown, but not at having to read instructions. Once he knows what needs to be done, he tends to have it done before even being told. She's looked into on-line classes for him, for his GED, but it all requires better reading skills than he has. It just takes him so long to read something that he looses interest. THanks again for the info.

[fellini123]

We have two here. One in Fishersville VA that my son went to about 10 years ago. It was not pretty, but not the centers fault. Son went into welding, but didnt show any appitude for it so the instructor suggested he try something else.

Son liked to cook so he signed up for that program. At first he did well and said that he liked it. Then we go the call that son had held a fellow student (female) against a wall at knife point, and he was no longer welcome at the center.

There is another Job Corps center not to far from us and a friend of ours went to the Pharmacy assistant program and she did well and they even found a job placement for her.

So we tend to think the ones around here are set the kids up for success and hold them to a decent standard.
Alice in Virginia

[frogmammy]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

The only experience I have is what one of my former students told me probably fifteen years ago. It was full of gangsta kids and drugs.

My grandson was at a Job Corps three years ago, and it is STILL the same.

Mon

[beccachow]

I have one here locally, and the kids are for the most part trouble makers here in the community. In fact, a rash of home burgleries was traced back to the Job Corp. Some seem to have had better success than mine, though.

[SquashNut]

I would find any thing else, except the Job Corp.

[pamda]

Son went, useless training. Ex-sil went, useless training. Even in Idaho it's full off gang thugs, druggies and kids who had 2 choices, jail or job corp. Worked for a woman who owned 2 assisted living homes, she was so sure she could get good help and pay nothing fron job corps. Deal was she was to train them. NOT did not happen and the 3 that were sent knew little English, were rude gang types with no manners and they treated my resisdents bad. Do not send him to job corp, there are trade schools every where.

[jwal10]

Sounds like a good place is at a local community college, training for a job. Just take the courses he needs, not for a degree. Getting a GED can be hard for some of thse kids. My Nephew went to welding classes and had a good job waiting. Loves the job, he is 24 now and farming too. Smart kid just like his Dad, just couldn't read....James

[CJBegins]

My son chose to go to Job Corp because he didn't want to commit to college or the military. He had his diploma already. Yes, there are a lot of kids there with behavior problems....lots. It's up to the kid on what they get out of it. My son went to the one in Puxico Mo and they were very strict....similar to boot camp. He learned the welding trade and then decided to join the Marines. It gave him time to mature and get a feel for life away from our small town. Now he is in Afghanistan. For him it was a good stepping stone and the facility cared about him and made several followup calls to see how he was doing. It didn't cost us a dime either. It's definitely a thought.

[TedH71]

I went to the Americorps in Austin, TX. There are two different ones. One helps remodel and maintain city hiking/biking trails which there are over 500 miles worth of! The other one build low income enviromentally friendly housing which I was a part of. I even got to meet George Bush when he was governor! I learned that I liked to build houses but at my own pace and in some cases, with tools. I still use what skills I learned there. One very good Americorps is in Minnesota from what I hear. They build and maintain trails in deep woods.

[Just Little Me]

My son went to Gainsville one 20 years ago, it was a nightmare. We had to go get him in the middle of the week from Tn. He was so messed up in the head from what went on there that we ended up in counseling. To this day (36), he will not tell me what happened to him while there. He did try another one in Ky. Came home early from that one also.
I would advise finding something else.

[Genevie]

Just want to point out that Job Corps and AmeriCorps are very different programs.

Job Corps focuses on academic and vocational training and job placement in a structured environment while AmeriCorps members are essentially paid volunteers that work in the areas of education, public safety, health and the environment (more like a domestic Peace Corps).

[SFM in KY]

My son went to Job Corp years ago in the Houston area, placed there from a special education school he was in for 6 or 8 months. He apparently did reasonably well there and was placed in a job in the oil fields there ... worked pretty steady in that area until he was injured on the job.

He had been living with his father and new wife, who kicked him out, living with me wasn't an option because no schooling was available where I was living. These things were worked out 'long distance' with the assistance of a very helpful police department and family service type people ... first the special school, then their staff assisted with his Job Corp placement. There wasn't a lot of choices thirty some years ago and I think they did the best the could with what was available.