JOB CORPS Two young adults from the Alaska Job Corps Center in Palmer received work-based job training at the BLM’s Campbell Tract in Anchorage. In return, the BLM benefitted from nearly 500 hours of enthusiastic volunteer labor with tasks ranging from trail compacting to welding.
The Job Corps Center provides youth ages 16-24 with career and technical education and training in business and technology, construction, and health and community services fields.
Eighteen-year-old Jake and 21-year-old Lisa worked full time at the BLM Campbell Tract for 6 weeks in the fall of 2009. Lisa and Jake were students in the Job Corps construction program, where they trained as heavy equipment operators. Then they brought their training to the BLM, where they refined their skills and gained actual work experience doing facilities maintenance and trail work.
Jake (lower right photo), originally from Fairbanks, hopes to work at the Port of Anchorage with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302 as a crane operator. Both Jake’s grandfather and great-grandfather were crane operators. So it’s no surprise that his favorite part of the job at Campbell Tract was operating a variety of heavy equipment to move earth, grade roads, and compact trails.
Lisa (upper right photo) is originally from Bethel and also hopes to land a union job doing heavy equipment work. She’d like to work construction jobs across the state, using her training and skills to help improve Alaska’s infrastructure at both urban and rural job sites.
These ambitious young adults are preparing to enter the workplace with real world experience, thanks to the Alaska Job Corps Center and their time at the BLM Campbell Tract.
And the BLM Anchorage Field Office is preparing to partner with the Job Corps Center to use other Job Corps youth in the near future. It’s a win-win.