ANACONDA, MT—Local officials, business leaders, Job Corps staff and family members joined 8 students graduating from Anaconda Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (CCC) in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest of Anaconda Tuesday to celebrate National Job Corps Commencement Day.

Job Corps is a unique national program that provides a safe environment for unemployed, undereducated, low-income youth to prepare for successful careers or further education. Approximately 60,000 students complete the Job Corps program each year at one of 124 centers across the country. Nationally, about 86% of Job Corps graduates go on to find and keep jobs, continue to higher education, or enlist in the military.

Ray Ryan, director of Anaconda Job Corps CCC, thanked the families, friends, and community members in attendance for the backing given to the graduating students. “It’s taken hard work to get to this point today,” Ryan reminded the graduates. “This is a rigorous program that you’ve completed, and each of you can be confident about being those employees with a solid work ethic and the skills needed to join the workforce. You will start giving back to these supporters standing before you today and our country that you will help lead tomorrow.”

Since Job Corps was created 47 years ago, it has served more than 3 million out-of-work young adults and underserved youth nationally. Many are high-school dropouts or public-assistance recipients, and Job Corps helps them become active contributors to their communities.

Anaconda Job Corps CCC serves over 220 students who were fortunate enough to meet a United States senator last week. Mr. Ryan read the letter of accomplishment that Montana Senator Jon Tester personally presented to the August graduates when he visited the training facility. “No other graduating class from Anaconda Job Corps CCC has ever received a senatorial letter of accomplishment,” stated Ryan. “In conjunction with the first annual National Job Corps Commencement Day, Senator Tester has offered the first of his written congratulations and promised to do the same for all Anaconda Job Corps CCC graduates in the future.”

Tuesday’s event marks the first time ever that the majority of the nation’s 124 Job Corps centers have held commencement celebrations on the same day.

Anaconda Job Corps CCC also promotes local job creation and economic support. For every dollar invested in the average Job Corps center, almost $2 is returned to the local economy.

The USDA Forest Service operates 28 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers across 18 states with a capacity of 6,200 students. Montana is home to three Job Corps Centers: Anaconda Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Anaconda; Kicking Horse Job Corps Center in Ronan; and Trapper Creek Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Darby. Together, the three centers serve 1026 students each year, support 684 local, private-sector jobs and stimulate almost $47 million in economic activity. For more information, visit: http://recruiting.jobcorps.gov/en/home.aspx.

Among supporters of the Montana Job Corps Coalition are U.S. Senator Max Baucus, U.S. Senator Jon Tester — who recently visited the Anaconda Job Corps CCC — and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, who recently visited the Trapper Creek Job Corps CCC.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to State and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.”

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