The Catskill Chronicle

Federal Program Provides Job Skills to High School Dropouts, Helps Disadvantaged New York Youths Find Work

CALLICOON, NY (February 8, 2011)  – Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) toured the Delaware Valley Job Corps Center on Monday, February 7, to call attention to and oppose proposed cuts to the federal Job Corps program.

Job Corps is the premier federal dropout recovery program, which provides education and training to help young people learn specific skills to develop a career, earn a high school diploma or GED, and find and keep a good job.

"It’s already hard enough to find a job in this economy, but imagine what it is like for a high school dropout without any job skills to speak of," said Hinchey. "Now is the wrong time to be slashing the budget for the Job Corps program, which provides those skills. For every one of the 1.2 million teenage dropouts each year, the long-term cost to the American taxpayer is $469,200 – to cover the decreased earnings, lost tax revenues, public health care expenses, crime-related costs and increased welfare benefits. Over the next decade, American taxpayers will have to pay over $3 trillion to cover these costs and that does not factor in the personal costs to our youth. Job Corps only costs $26,000 per student. So we can invest in job skills training now, or pay nearly 20 times the cost of that training in welfare, public financed health care, and prison later. Cutting Job Corps makes no fiscal sense whatsoever. Taxpayers should be outraged at the proposal to cut this vital program."

In January, House Republicans voted to slash $81 million in funding from Job Corps. This follows a $250 million drop in funding that was being temporarily provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Now some have proposed eliminating the program altogether, which Hinchey argues would hurt the thousands of New Yorkers who can still benefit from the program. According to an independent economic analysis, for every dollar invested, Job Corps stimulates an additional $1.91 in economic activity. Every year, the program generates $144 million in economic activity in New York and creates over 1,700 jobs. There are six Job Corps centers located in New York.

"Some may want to cut this program, but I’m hopeful that will not happen," said Hinchey. "We’re going to fight to keep it in place, and I hope that more New Yorkers in Sullivan County, throughout the Catskills and elsewhere, will realize just how life changing Job Corps can be. If you’re a high school dropout or if you know a young adult who is in need of additional skills training, you need to look into this program. My office can help with the application process, and if you qualify, the program is free of charge."

At Delaware Valley Job Corps, students receive the skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce – at no cost to them or their families. Participants in the program live on campus in Callicoon, New York while receiving training in trade fields including: advanced manufacturing; business technologies; carpentry; culinary arts; facilities maintenance; material handling; medical office support; security; automotive repair; construction; and, electrician support. Those who are interested in the program can learn more by visiting http://delawarevalley.jobcorps.gov or by calling (800) 733-JOBS today.

Last year, Hinchey joined with Congressman Ed Towns (D-NY), a fellow member of the Job Corps Congressional Caucus, in calling for strong federal funding of the program in the fiscal year 2012 budget. Last June, Hinchey’s office hosted an information session on the Job Corp program in Newburgh. Hinchey was also a strong advocate for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided $250 million in additional funding for the Job Corps program.