Don't cut it out
Kicking Horse Job Corps could face budget cuts
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RONAN – With less than two hours left before the government would have been forced to shut down, President Obama and Speaker John Boehner reached a tentative agreement on a framework for funding the remainder of the fiscal year.
Kicking Horse Job Corps had a scare when they learned of the potential for major cuts to their program, even the possibility of being cut out completely.
According to an email sent from LaVera Leonard, president of the National Job Corps Association, House Republicans and Senate Democrats had been directed to cut discretionary spending to the level of $1.055 trillion, which equals about $33 billion in reductions. The Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Departments would see up to $10 billion in annual funding cuts alone, with Job Corps a very tempting and large target in the Department of Labor’s budget.
The hearing for the proposed cuts was scheduled for April 5, but was then given an extension to April 7. The hearings were an attempt to seal a last minute deal to avert government shutdown.
According to a press release, President Obama and Speaker John Boehner made an agreement to make an across-the-board cut to all discretionary government programs, excluding those related to defense, in order to yield $1.14 billion in savings. What this means for Job Corps is that the cut should amount to under one percent. The exact amount cut will be finalized in the coming week.
There was the possibility that KHJC could have their funding cut completely, leaving 70 employees without a job, and students finishing their programs elsewhere. This would be a huge blow to not only the Mission Valley community, but also the students who attend Job Corps.
Job Corps programs help young adults aged 16-24 who are economically disadvantaged gain their G.E.D. or high school diploma. After graduating their program, students can receive advanced training through nationally supported, advanced programs. The center has many different occupations to explore such as facilities maintenance, diesel mechanic, masonry, and various health fields.
According to KHJC employee Shelly Fyant, Congress can’t afford to cut Job Corps.
“It doesn’t make sense to cut our youth out,” she said. “This program gives them a hand-up, not a hand-out.”
Fyant expressed her disapproval with Congressman Denny Rehberg recently made multiple incorrect statements about Job Corps. According to Fyant, Job Corps serves over 60,000 youth, costing approximately $27,000 per student. Job Corps also has an 83 percent rate of graduates that go on to enter employment, higher education, or the military within six months of exiting the program.
According to an email from Leonard, Rep. Rosa DeLauro shared with Rehberg that an average-sized Job Corps center supports 228 local jobs, totaling approximately “600 jobs and an estimated $47 million in local economic activity in Montana alone.”
According to Fyant, each high school dropout costs taxpayers approximately $469,000 over that person’s lifetime to support them. She says that it costs taxpayers approximately $27,000 to put a youth through their program.
Fyant says it’s common sense to keep the program, and a good investment for taxpayers in the long run as it costs much less to give the disadvantaged an education and career path than to support them though publicly funded welfare programs.
For tribally enrolled student Jade Mitchell, Job Corps has been a major blessing in her life.
“Coming to Job Corps is a privilege,” she said. “Some kids don’t have opportunities to turn their lives around and to learn the skills to find and keep a job.”
Mitchell is currently 50 days into training, and plans to eventually save up enough to enroll in the Art Institute in Seattle, Wash.
“I’m excited to be a role model for someone else,” she said. “I was in a tough spot and it’s my time to give back.”
