How to Get Involved with Job Corps

SUPPORT AMERICA'S YOUTH IN JOB CORPS

There are many ways you may become involved in supporting Loring Job Corps’ students, activities and vocational training programs even if you do not have a need to hire someone at this time. Getting involved also allows you to familiarize yourself with the program and get a firsthand view of how our center operates.

Here are several possible ways to become a partner with Loring Job Corps Center:

Visit Our Campus

Visiting our campus will help you familiarize yourself with what we do. You will learn how the center operates, the facilities we provide, our training programs, and how all that can benefit you and/or your business. Also, once you become acquainted with the center staff and they get to know you, they will be able to refer students whom they think will be a good fit for your operation.

Hiring Job Corps Student Interns

Our Job Corps’ training is also called “work-based learning” because it combines hands-on skills with related classroom training, then puts that knowledge into practice on an actual job site. Work-based learning students can work from three weeks to six months. Think of it as an extended trial period during which you can assess a student’s potential as a future employee. By sharing your feedback with students and their instructors, you can improve a student’s job performance as well as Job Corps’ training.

Mentoring A Job Corps Student

Employers who mentor a young person say it’s a highly rewarding experience. Mentoring is flexible within your time demands. You and a young person can decide how often you’d like to meet, or communicate via e-mail or by telephone.

Host A Student Shadow

Employers can host a student “shadow” by arranging to have a student accompany them on their daily routine. This allows you to get to know the student on a one-on-one basis and allows the student to get a well-rounded view of your operation. Many students have been hired as work-based interns based on their experience as shadows. Each year in February is National Groundhog Job Shadow Day and an excellent opportunity to host a Job Corps student. (Log on to www.jobshadow.org for more information.)

Speaking at a Job Corps Campus

Employers are always welcome to speak at our graduation ceremonies, open houses, to our new students, or other events, such as job fairs. Our students are eager to meet you because you are an authoritative source in the industry of their study and a possible source of employment.

Participate in Workforce Investment Boards and Youth Councils

The Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs) are state and local organizations that focus on the job markets in local regions. Congress created the concept of the LWIB and linked it to Youth Councils (YCs) as a way to make youth job training programs such as Job Corps more employer-friendly. Employers are strongly encouraged to participate on these boards because they examine the labor markets and determine what particular skills are needed to fill the available jobs. By becoming involved, employers will have input at the onset of what specific trades will benefit their types of businesses. (Log on to www.maine.gov for more information about Maine’s organizations)

Participate in Center Industry Councils

Center Industry Councils are organizations formed on each Job Corps campus. Our Industry Council is composed of employers who are located in the local area or within the state, employers in the regions to which Job Corps graduates return upon graduation, labor representatives, employee representatives, Job Corps graduates and Job Corps students. The Center Industry Council allows employers to have a direct influence on the vocational training of a particular center, which ultimately means more qualified workers for your company and your industry.

Offering Customized Training

Invest in a custom equipment and training at our campus and your business will have young people learning specific skills so they were able to start employment with your company immediately after graduation. You'll have ready-trained employees. Arranging customized training through Job Corps can mean providing your industry-specific equipment for Job Corps’ vocational shops; working with Job Corps to update the curriculum in a trade so students learn the required skills for your business, or it can mean arranging periodic instruction on your site.

Call (207) 328-4212 ext 7213 for more Information on becoming a Loring Job Corps Partner.