OCR Text |
Show Job Corps Sound Investment working together a feeling of respect re-spect and appreciation is genera-ated genera-ated between the two groups. By BRUCE CHRISTENSEN Chronicle Staff Writer Many critics of the Job Corps have been "surprised" at its ability to turn underprivileged youth into producers in our society. According to Dale O. Zabriskie, director of Community Relations for the Clearfield Job Corps, placement place-ment of 60 per cent of the corps-men corps-men in jobs, higher education or the army "surprised a lot of people." Speaking to a senior press conference con-ference at the University of Utah on Thursday, Zabriskie said the apparent high cost (about $6,000 per placeable corpsman) is a cheap investment If the average corps-men corps-men lived to be 57, he would have cost the tax payers $120,000 in welfare, and likely would have five or six children to begin the cycle all over again. "Considering these facts," said Zabriskie, "the Job Corps program is a sound investment in the future of our society." The average corpsman comes into in-to the program at age 17 and a half, has a ninth grade education, comes from a family of third or fourth generation welfare cases and has not seen a doctor in the last ten years. He spends seven to nine months at the Job Corps Center and leaves with a 60 per cent chance of finding a job. During his stay a Job Corpsman spends three hours a day learning a vocational trade, three hours in basic education (such as math, English and history) and an hour in physical education. He also receives re-ceives special counseling from instructors in areas where his education ed-ucation about society and how to relate to people needs reinforcement. reinforce-ment. The corpsman is allowed to progress pro-gress as fast as he can, and is given certificates of achievement along the way. These certificates are given often, according to Zabriskie, so the corpsman can see his own accomplishments. Besides education and job training, train-ing, the Job Corps is a means of exposure between Negroes and whites. "This," said Zabriskie, "is the most important single by-product of the program." By living and |