Perkins students recycle wooden pallets into furniture

Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Carpentry Instructor Ricky Yates is teaching students about the environment and recycling during his Green lessons each week. But recently Yates and his class have been learning how to recycle wood pallets that you normally find, sitting behind most business just wasting away into something that is both useful and beautiful.

Yates and his students have made several Adirondack-style pallet chairs out of the wood pallets. Yates said he wanted to teach his students how to learn to use a variety of materials in many different, creative ways, all while helping the environment.

Carpentry Instructor Ricky Yates and students Francin Deleard and Tyheed Pollard show off their new chairs.

Former SPS student thanks Carl D. Perkins for training, experiences

Former Security and Protective Services student Mary Ann Franz, 20, recently sent the following letter thanking Carl D. Perkins, and specifically Carl Wilson, for the training she received at CDPJCC. Franz, from Brandon, Fla., obtained more than 300 hours in work-based learning, working at different arenas and events. She also obtained certifications in CPR/first aid, handcuffing, OC pepper spray, baton training and self-defense as part of her SPS training. Franz trained at CDPJCC 311 days, graduating last December. Upon graduation, she returned to Florida to obtain employment and put her training to use.

Hi, Mr. Wilson,

I sure do still miss being in class and think about it often! I am doing good. I still currently work security for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Working there I have used everything you taught me in class and am very thankful for the training I received while in Job Corps. My supervisor tells me all the time I was hired because of my motivation and effort to learn and train for security on my own. So the training at Job Corps is definitely what helped get me the job. Security is so much fun, but hard work at the same time. I do everything from guarding money, carrying anywhere from $10 to $1,000,000 to different card tables, checking identification, breaking up fights, monitoring the club, catching people shoplifting, taking intoxicated people to a taxi, roving the floors in the hotel and casino, doing alarm checks and fire safety checks, just anything and everything you can think about. I am thinking about taking up a second job working at the Raymond James Stadium doing security part-time for all the games and events. I sure do use all of my training and remember daily all of the great times and opportunities I’ve gotten to experience in your class. I came there for security and left with a lifetime of experiences. Tell everyone I said hello!

Sincerely,
Mary Ann Franz

Mary Ann Franz is one more example that shows that Job Corps works.

Students, staff join in Race for a Cure event

Ten students and two staff members from Charleston Job Corps Center participated in the West Virginia Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and raised more than $700 for breast cancer research. The event was held on May 5 in downtown Charleston. More than 7000 people participated in the 5K event. Student Personnel Officer assistant Lisa Lewis participated as an untimed walker and Medical Office Support Instructor Jennifer Lester participated as a timed runner. Participating students held several fundraiser events prior to the race and solicited donations from community partners.

Yes You Can Conference focuses on employability skills, responsibility

 CJCC hosted a “Yes You Can” Conference May 29 to promote student retention. The all-day conference, held at the John XXIII Pastoral Center, was coordinated by Lisa Lewis, student personnel officer, and Tia Welch, business & community liaison. Guest speakers and topics included Carl Chadband from KISRA (Kanawha Institute for Social Research and Action), “Overcoming Barri­ers;” Mary Halen from BB & T and John Rymer from the West Virginia Division of Personnel, “What Employers are Looking For;” and Carl Lee, a former NFL player, representing Community Outreach, “Personal and Social Responsibil­ity.” Sandra Blaney, owner of San’s Hair Loft in Beckley, and Don Juan Staples, owner of Don Juan Barbershop in Institute, led workshops on small business ownership. Other center staff conducted various afternoon workshops focusing on advanced training and college opportunities, work-based learning, community service and volunteerism and the student Personal Career Development Plan. Former students Toni Threatt and Denzel Owens also spoke to students about how the opportunities they received at Job Corps changed their lives. Thirty-three students attended the conference.



Students Joseph Thomas, Brandon Maske, Tevin Wilson, and Ansel Blake (right) visit with former NFL player Carl Lee during the Yes You Can conference.



MCDC promotes alternative energy by installing more solar panels

MCDC continued its leadership role in Job Corps in promoting alternative energy by installing three new solar panels on the center. The panels, which have an output of 31 kilowatts per day, will be used to generate electricity to operate the Welcome Center at the entrance gate of the center. Students from the Foundations and Welding classes helped with the installation. This latest addition is the second set of solar panels installed at the center. MCDC also has a wind turbine to generate electricity and reduce energy costs on campus. MCDC was the first Job Corps center in the nation to install equipment to generate alternative energy on site. For its efforts, the center received two notable awards in project year 2009 – the Earth Day Every Day National Green Center Recognition Award and the Philadelphia Region Demand Side Award.

MCDC students who worked on the installation of additional solar panels include: front row, kneeling, left to right: Dominique Lyons, Andrew Armstrong and King Nichols; back row, standing: Instructor Billy Cloud, Bryan Rondon, Jesse Nelsen, James Hensley, Dominique Boone and Charles Beale.

Perkins grad now works as Oxford, Pa, ambassador

Oxford, Pa., shoppers who need directions, help crossing the street or help making change for the parking meters need to look no further than to Miguel Jimenez, 21. Jimenez, who completed the security & protec­tive services training program at Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Center, is the borough’s new Downtown Oxford Ambassador. His job is to provide an extra bit of security by strolling through the downtown area every day, assisting shoppers and business owners alike.

“The main thing is public safety,” said Jimenez. “I meet and greet, always with a smile on, to make sure the presence is always there for people who already come to Oxford and for people who want to come. I want to make sure their visit is enjoyable and safe, and they feel comfortable to come to Oxford.” Jimenez, who is bilingual, is able to reach out to the diverse population in the Oxford community.

Jimenez attended Perkins from January 2010 to August 2011. In addition to completing the SPS program, Jimenez received certification in first aid and CPR. He also received hundreds of hours of training through the work-based learning program, providing security for VIPs and visiting performers, and at events in the area. He is just another example of how “Job Corps works.”

CJCC student to enroll in Advanced Training, sets sights for college

Rico Blake, 22, from Capital Heights, Md., has been accepted to the Clearfield Job Corps Center in Utah for advanced training in automotive diesel engines. Blake will transfer to the program in July. Once he com­pletes advanced training, Blake plans to attend college.

He enrolled at CJCC in January 2011 with his high school diploma and completed the painting career techni­cal training program. While at CJCC he distinguished himself as a student leader, serving as dorm president of Truth Dorm and president of Peer Counseling. He also participated in a number of community service projects and activities, including volunteering at Sojourner’s Women’s Shelter and the YMCA and helping with Earth Week activities. He completed a work-based internship at the YMCA, painting that organization’s gym and weight room.

Blake noted that “Job Corps taught me patience and how to be a leader.” He also said that Janet Jones, ACT/OCT coordina­tor, made a huge difference in his experience at CJCC. “(She) believed in me. She was persistent in helping me get placed for advanced training.”

His advice to students considering enrolling in Job Corps is: “Don’t let your past determine your future, and always put God first.”

Congressman donates books to Perkins Job Corps Center

Congressman Hal Rogers recently donated a number of books to the Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Center to be used for recreational reading in the students’ residential hall common areas. The books were donated through the Library of Congress Surplus Books Program.

In a letter accompanying the donated books, Rogers said, “I continue to hear good reports about the strides that the Perkins Job Corps Center has taken in recent years to train students in multiple vocations. The skills are invaluable to our region and our nation’s economy. Thank you for the work that you are doing in eastern Kentucky.”

Rogers added, “It is an honor to have the Perkins Job Corps in my district and to serve you in the House of Representatives.”

MCDC student awarded full scholarship to Berea College

Muhlenberg Career Development Center student Solomon Tesfamichael has been awarded a four-year scholarship to attend Berea College in Kentucky, beginning in fall 2012. The scholarship is valued at more than $100,000.

Tesfamichael, from Atlanta, Ga., enrolled in MCDC in October 2010, and completed his high school diploma and earned certificates in Medical Office Support and Pharmacy Technology. After completing his Job Corps studies, he enrolled at Madisonville Community College and was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2011 and spring 2012 semesters. He has completed 28 college hours and is taking 13 more credit hours this summer.

Berea, known for the quality of its academic programs, was the south’s  first interracial and coeducational college. Berea charges no tuition and admits only academically promising students, primarily from Appalachia, who have limited economic resources.

At Berea, Tesfamichael plans to focus his studies on the medical field.

Gary Jones, business & community liaison at MCDC, said “Solomon is a shining example of what a student can accomplish in the Job Corps program through hard work and dedication.”

Tesfamichael is the third MCDC student to attend Berea in the last four years.

MCDC grad on the road to promising career with trucking firm

Years ago, singer Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” was a popular hit. In just a few short weeks, that song will be a perfect tune for MCDC graduate Darius Phillips. He will be moving on the a career in the trucking industry with C.R. England Global Transport in Salt Lake City, Utah, the nation’s largest refrigerated carrier, employing more than 5,900 drivers. Phillips has enrolled in the C.R. England Truck Driving School to obtain his Class A Commercial Driver’s License. 

He earned his high school diploma, Class B CDL and Level 3 Heavy Equipment Operator’s certificate while at MCDC. Phillips, who is from Jacksonville, Fla., said, “Job Corps offered me the opportunity to get my life back on track.”  His future goal is to own his own tractor trailer truck and be an owner/operator. Phillips’ advice to students interested in Job Corps is: “Stay focused on what you want to accomplish and do not let anyone or anything get in the way of accomplishing your goals.”

Charleston Job Corps Center welcomes Curtis Price as new center director

Curtis E. Price Jr., who started his 26-year Job Corps career at the Charleston Job Corps Center, has been named center director there. Price, a native of Charleston, W.Va., joined CJCC on April 23.

Price has served as center director at five different Job Corps centers: Delaware Valley in New York, Westover in Massachusetts; Gary in Texas; Potomac in Washington, D.C.; and Penobscot in Maine. Additionally, he has served as director of student support services and vice president of government and community relations for Management & Training Corp., a major operator of Job Corps centers.

Price began his Job Corps career at CJCC, serving as an employability specialist/job developer at the center. Prior to joining Job Corps, he served as the equal employment opportunity administrator for the state of West Virginia, Governor’s Office; director of the recreation program at Central Charleston Community College; and head men’s basketball coach at West Virginia State University. Price earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education/social studies from West Virginia University.

Price noted that even though he’s been away from the Charleston area for quite some time, he has maintained a “deep love for and interest in how (CJCC) has been doing.” CJCC is a “very nice facility in a nice setting,” Price said. “The center has a rich history of performing well. We want to tap into that again.”

“We will strive to improve our outcomes in all areas,” Price said.” The center’s performance represents our students’ accomplishments.”

His immediate goals include ensuring the center environment is safe, fosters learning, and encourages students to be engaged in their learning. Price also plans to involve all staff in mentoring, modeling and monitoring of students, and provide staff with the training, vision and expectation needed to succeed and drive performance. “We want to celebrate every opportunity for success . . . a loud, noisy celebration!”

Price noted that CJCC is extending its on-line high school and GED programs to include monitored, proctored evening hours, and building new educational and employment partnerships to help students succeed. Additionally, CJCC now offers two new demanding career technical training programs: Pharmacy Technician and Dental Assistant. “These two programs are in their infancy stages, and we’re closely monitoring students’ needs to facilitate study focus groups to make sure students are keeping pace. The skills students learn in these new programs will pay off for them for the rest of their lives.”

Price noted that “Job Corps provides tremendous opportunities for students to grow socially and academically, and to develop employability skills” that will lead to fulfilling careers.

CJCC Students Earn Degrees From Area Community College

Three Charleston Job Corps students have been awarded certificates or degrees from Kanawha Valley Community & Technical College. Meron Ghile, who completed the Certified Nurse Assistant career technical training program at CJCC, and Biniam Zenaghebriel, who completed Hotel & Lodging at CJCC, both were awarded a dental lab technician certificate. Christopher Mayor, who completed Medical Office Support at CJCC, was awarded an associate’s degree in criminal justice.