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Remarks Delivered By
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Job Corps Annual Leadership Summit
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Thank you, Esther [Johnson, National Director of the Office of Job Corps].
Dr. Esther Johnson brings so much to Job Corps and today I want to express my thanks to her for taking on this challenge. Esther is ideally suited for the task of leading Job Corps forward into its fifth decade. She is deeply knowledgeable about education. She is experienced in linking education and training to meaningful employment opportunities. And she has also distinguished herself as an effective program manager.
Esther has a passion for ensuring that Job Corps makes a clear, measurable difference in the lives and economic futures of its young participants.
I also want to welcome the students who are with us today from the culinary arts program of the Potomac Job Corps Center. I'm delighted you could come today! They often provide wonderful cookies and cakes for Department of Labor events—there's never anything left over!
As you know so well, Job Corps has been a vital part of the Labor Department for over 40 years. I attended the Job Corps 40th anniversary conference in September 2005. It was wonderful.
At 122 centers nationwide, the program trains approximately 62,000 youth each year in more than 100 career areas. These students rely upon us to help them acquire the skills to compete in today's workforce. And this summit directly addresses that important challenge.
A lot has happened in the past six months. We all know that Job Corps was transferred to the Office of the Secretary in March 2006. That presented some programmatic and operational hurdles. But we have all worked hard—especially the Job Corps staff—to continue to provide the highest quality service possible to the young people who depend on this program.
It won't surprise you to know that we continue to believe that Job Corps fits best within the Employment and Training Administration and should be returned there. But we have made a commitment that, for as long as the Office of the Secretary has the program, we are going to do everything we can to advance the Job Corps mission.
Today I'm here to talk about how we can make Job Corps even better for the youth it serves. But first, let me tell you what we've done since undertaking primary responsibility for the program.
Shortly after we were given direct oversight of Job Corps, the Inspector General was asked to perform a top-to-bottom audit of the program. The reason for this request was to benchmark the organization so we can measure our progress as we move forward and to uncover any areas of weakness that have to be addressed decisively. I'm pleased to say that the Office of Inspector General has been getting tremendous cooperation from Job Corps staff and contractors, and everyone is working together, in a collaborative way, to strengthen the management of Job Corps.
While we focus on these program improvements, it's also important to keep our eye on day-to-day operations. Throughout the transition process, Esther Johnson and her staff, and the Department's senior management team, have worked overtime to keep the trains running on time. I can report that, since March, the Labor Department has awarded or extended nearly 50 contracts in the amount of $200 million, with seamless service delivery. This is a real achievement.
The Department also adopted a key improvement in the way Job Corps will be doing business with center operators. Next year, the best performing center operators will be granted longer contract extensions, under a system known as award term contracting.
Through this new approach, better-performing service providers and Job Corps staff will both benefit. It will minimize the disruptions that come from frequent contract competitions. And Job Corps students will thrive in consistently well-maintained learning environments.
Another innovation is Dr. Johnson's new STARS Initiative. On September 21, 2006, I visited the Woodland Job Corps Center to launch STARS, and I hear students are already big fans. Today, STARS is up and running in 13 Job Corps centers. And if it lives up to its potential, it can be replicated throughout the U.S.
Again, thank you, Esther, for your leadership in implementing these initiatives.
Before I mention what's in store for the future of Job Corps, let me welcome the center operators, educators and staff who each day implement the Job Corps mission. I am so pleased you could be with us today. The summit workshops will help you to learn your part in implementing a key goal of the Department: preparing our workforce for the new, knowledge-based economy. Your contribution is key to achieving this goal.
Looking forward, let me announce a few initiatives to help you better serve at-promise young people. Everyone here will be a partner in making these initiatives a reality.
First, education is the key to the future of young people. So the Department will take steps to attract and retain the best teaching talent. Teachers who get results deserve encouragement and that is why, beginning in January, Job Corps will increase teacher salaries.
Second, Job Corps will strengthen its connection to the foster care system. Job Corps is an option for young people who are getting ready to leave foster care. The goal is to ensure that youth in transition know they can find housing, education and job training assistance at Job Corps. We don't want a single at-promise child to miss out on this opportunity! Historically, Job Corps has provided this safety net, and by partnering with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this will be more widely communicated.
Lastly, in January the Office of Job Corps will begin a foreign language pilot program in Boston and San Francisco. It will build upon the foreign language skills some students already have by strengthening their ability to read and write in their second language. In addition, for those without a second language, Job Corps will offer basic study and tutoring in a second language. This is so important as our country becomes more diverse.
Our country is part of a worldwide economy and is transitioning to a knowledge based economy. More than two-thirds of the new jobs created require higher skills, and more education. It is important to stay in school and get a high school diploma or G.E.D. One of our great challenges in a worldwide economy is to constantly train and retrain our nation's workforce to remain competitive.
You have the power to help Job Corps students take steps toward realizing their dreams and building a successful future in the 21st century workforce. It is crucial to recognize that there is a direct link between education and both employment and lifetime earnings:
- High school dropouts have a 6.4 percent unemployment rate and earn an average of about $494 per week; while
- High school graduates have a 4.2 percent unemployment rate and earn an average of about $693 per week; and
- Associate's degree recipients have a 2.8 percent unemployment rate and earn an average of about $823 per week; and
- Those having a bachelor's degree or higher have a 2 percent unemployment rate and earn an average of about $1,295 per week.
So accessing education and training is vital to future earnings and to building a brighter future. We must urge our young people to finish their education!
Thank you for your commitment to helping at-promise young people access opportunity and build better lives. Your contribution is key to helping them build better lives. There are many challenges ahead. But by working together, we can make a real difference in their lives. And this summit is a great start!
Thank you and God bless you!
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