Ranked as one of the most effective programs in the nation, the Exeter Job Corps is providing just what the Ocean State needs – an effective transitional link to the workplace for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
But as successful as the federally financed Job Corps approach is – at its core, it is a residential program that teaches both workplace and job-readiness skills – it has been buffeted by the political storms of partisan gridlock in Washington, D.C.
Over the course of the average 10-to 11-month stay at the Exeter facility, the 16- to 24-year-old students learn to handle daily chores, respond to roll calls, all while receiving specific training in multiple career paths, including the newest program, protective services.
Once graduated, the young people are ready to begin at any number of entry-level positions. General Dynamics Electric Boat is a big supporter, citing not just the readiness of the graduates when they come to the submarine manufacturer, but the high retention rate and the potential to serve as mentors to recruits yet to come as the company continues on its growth trajectory.
Projected enrollment for 2015 is 185, short of the capacity of 200 but an increase from the federal sequestration-caused drop to 150 in fiscal 2014. Rhode Island is not alone in needing to develop a better workforce, and this is clearly an effective tool to do so. The state’s congressional delegation, indeed, the entire Congress, needs to do more than return enrollment to the full capacity. They need to expand the capacity. This is the kind of human-capital investment that pays for itself many times over. •