JobCorp
By hagirl
@hagirl (1295)
United States
November 5, 2009 8:32pm CST
I know some of you know about the program out there called JobCorp. It is a program designed for teenagers and young adults 16-24 years of age to get high school diploma/GED and train them for different careers so when they get out they can do job placement. As some you know this is a government program and it is a really good program when it works. My problem with the program I was going to put my son in (age 16) because he was defiant, needed to be away somewhat from father, and having problems in school. Well anyway they would not take him, but while I was there they told me they go on field trips some of them of which they take these children to Lexington for the weekend and let them spend their money they make. They are put in hotels with their own money they make. The children under 18 are chaperoned all weekend,but the ones over 18 are not. Here is the problem. I have had two daughters in the program both over 18 when going in that took advantaged of these Lexington trips. Both have turned up pregnant while in this government program. I am sure you all agree that is not why we would send our children to a program for this to happen. When the last one came up pregnant I had to ask the question what are the actually teaching these kids in this program. One of the daughters is already out with a carpentery license registered with the union, but cannot use these skills because she has a new baby and the other one was in masonery and has to change jobs if they will even keep here because of this. When the first one was in JobCorp (in one of the smallest in KY 200 bed facility) there were a total of 5 girls pregnant just in her dorm. That is not counting the ones pregnant in the other dorms. Now she is on welfare which some of you know I did a paper on this (3% tax payers money goes to welfare) and cannot work in her field. So what did she really get out of this program that she could use by having a baby. I think safe s*x needs to be one of their program choices. Of course they get fined $1 for affectionate contact in front of counselors. Who cares take their whole check? What now? I am doing some research into this problem before but I intend to bring my findings up to my state representative. You can not say out of sight out of mind when babies are having babies. Although my daughters were over 18 some of these girls pregnant at 16 and 17. I bet these parents are not happy. Thinking you are sending your child to a structured environment trying to help them succeed and they end up pregnant with more problems. Please respond and let me know how some of you feel or if you know of a child in JobCorp or some of them are called Carl D. Perkins Training Center.
2 responses
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
7 Nov 09
I think that Job Corp wishes to help young adults get a high school diploma and be trained for a worthwhile career. However it is terrible that the pregnancy rate is so high. The young adults should be learning about birth control. They should be able to find out what life would be like as a teenage parent. Getting pregnant at 16, 17 or 18 might mean these young ladies miss out on having a fun time. They will be changing diapers and feeding their baby in the middle of the night. I love being a parent to my three children but I am glad I waited until my twenties and thirties to get pregnant. It is possible to get a career when a teen has a baby but it is more challenging than being free of responsibility. I can quite understand why you don't wish your son to go on the Job Corp Program.
@hagirl (1295)
• United States
9 Nov 09
The problem is half of these children under or over 18 come to JobCorp not only to be trained but to learn responsibility and how to take care of theirselves in the real world. Having a baby when you do not know how to take care of yourself is not easy and it only puts fuel on the fire of your learning process.
@jalucia (1431)
• United States
6 Nov 09
I've definitely heard of JobCorp. I even know a guy who is trying to get back in after being caught drinking and getting kicked out. So, I figured that they had policies and procedures that they definitely enforced. Well, if all of these girls are turning up pregnant it seems, to me, that someone needs to really look further into this. Job Corp is not supposed to be a breeding ground. I mean, who's getting these girls pregnant - other troubled youths? On the other hand, no one can totally control what a child does. If they could, then we parents wouldn't have the kind of problems with our children that make us send them to job corp. Children can be sneaky and can, also, be pros at finding ways to do what they want to do. And, at the age of 18, one definitely has to take some responsibility for their own actions. Your daughter is pregnant, but had she not gone to job corp she might be pregnant minus a professional license that she will be able to use in the coming years. I am in no way telling that you should not go ahead with your plans to research and bring your complaints to the appropriate officials. You entrust these people to your most prized possession, your children, and the outcome is shocking. You have every right to ask "What's wrong? What's going on? How did this happen?" I'm just saying that you're daughters must answer these questions, also, in order for them to successfully move forward. And, they can move ahead - successfully.
@hagirl (1295)
• United States
6 Nov 09
Both of them became pregnant on these Lexington weekends. If these weekends were not allowed in the fashion that they are then they would not be pregnant.(maybe, maybe not) There are rules and regulations that are followed on campus and on every outing they go to except for the Lexington weekend trips for over 18 yrs of age.
