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Remarks Prepared for Delivery By
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
New Orleans Job Corps Center Visit
New Orleans, Louisiana
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Before I begin, let me thank Donald Powell, the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Coordinator of Gulf Coast Rebuilding, for joining us.
I also want to recognize Esther [Johnson, National Director, Office of Job Corps] and Amelia [Oliver, New Orleans Job Corps Center Director] for their ongoing dedication to the Job Corps program.
Good afternoon! To the staff, and especially to the students, thank you for your warm welcome today.
On behalf of the entire U.S. Department of Labor, I welcome all of you — staff and students — back to the New Orleans Job Corps Center.
The Department of Labor opened the first New Orleans Job Corps Center across the street in 1987.
When we constructed this new center in 2005, the Department made a commitment not only to New Orleans, but especially to the youth of this great city. And when we reopened the doors of this center following Hurricane Katrina, we took a big step in fulfilling that commitment. We let the city of New Orleans know that Job Corps is here to stay!
Job Corps will continue to stand strong, shoulder to shoulder, with the residents and neighborhoods of New Orleans, as it has done in the past.
Over the last two years, Job Corps students and staff have generated more than $20,000 in hurricane relief through various fundraising efforts. The Job Corps family nationwide provided hundreds of care packages to evacuees. And, staff members from some of the 122 Job Corps Centers have volunteered countless hours with the American Red Cross.
Students and staff from more than a dozen Job Corps Centers, spanning from North Carolina to Oregon, have also traveled to the Gulf Coast to provide direct assistance to communities throughout the region.
This past winter, for example, Job Corps students and staff partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build 11 new houses for families who lost their homes as a result of Hurricane Katrina. It was the largest skill-based community service project in Job Corps' 43-year history.
As members of the Job Corps family, this isn't the first you've heard of these efforts. They're one of the many stories of Americans reaching out to aid the re-building and recovery efforts in New Orleans.
Together, you are helping this community rebuild and move forward.
This time of year, all around the country, students of all ages, kindergarten through college, are going back to school. They've enjoyed their summer vacation, and now they are headed back to the classroom to continue their education.
Looking out into this crowd, looking at the faces of those who are a part of this center, we see students who are not only learning, but also participating in the rebuilding of this great city.
Instructors, too, are helping to make a difference for New Orleans. They are doing more than teaching theories from books. They are helping their students put that knowledge into practice in the community.
The can-do spirit of the Job Corps family is a reflection of the American people. We are diverse. We are driven to succeed, and we are determined to overcome any obstacles.
With your continued hard work, Job Corps will continue to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people here in New Orleans. They, in turn, will continue to make a difference for the communities and families of New Orleans.
So thank you, Esther, for inviting me here today to see all that has been accomplished in this wonderful center. And let me thank all of you, for all that you do everyday to give back to this wonderful city, to your community, and to your nation.
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