Job Corps: America's Best Kept Employment and Education Secret!

What if I told you your student (ages 16 - 24) can go to a really nice "boarding school", finish getting his/her high school diploma/GED if needed, learn employability and independent living skills, get free room and board, medical care, and so much more, and it won't cost you anything, in fact, they will pay your student a bi-weekly allowance to attend?

Would you want to know more about it? I did! I went to the orientation and had a tour of one of the facilities. My daughter is graduating from high school with some college already under her belt, this May. She is planning on joining the job corps. In her words, "Why would I want to pay for college when I can get paid to go instead?" She's a smart girl, takes after her mama!

So yesterday we went to see the Grand Rapids, Michigan facility, aptly named after the only president to come from Michigan, The Gerald R. Ford Facility. They just put a new girls dormitory in. My daughter will be sharing a brand new room with three other girls.

Each room has four beds with locking drawers under them, four closets with locks, a double sink area, and a toilet/shower in a separate room off their bedroom so girls can use the sinks and vanity area while someone is in the shower or using the toilet.

The boys are not so lucky, although they do have small televisions in their rooms; they have five to a room, and community bathrooms they have to walk to and share with several other rooms. Depending on the center, there could be up to seven in a room.

The girls will still be walking to the original 1964 building across a small parking lot to attend classes, eat meals, and use the gym, pool tables, and recreational facilities. During the day when classes are taking place the dorms are locked up and off limits to everyone. If someone is ill they must spend the day in the on-campus health facilities. When classes let out, the dorm doors are unlocked and the students are able to go to their rooms.