On November 8 and 9, Blue Ridge Job Corps welcomed our first group of students back to campus since March 16, when all students left center due to the coronavirus pandemic. BRJC has worked closely with the Department of Labor to create new protocols and procedures to keep our students, staff and community as safe as possible, and was fortunately chosen as one of the first centers to begin the process to resume on-center training.
On March 16, Job Corps established a spring break for all centers in light of COVID-19 concerns and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Starting May 11, Job Corps centers across the country entered into virtual distance learning for the first time in its history. To assist our students with the shift to virtual education, over 20,000 Chromebooks were distributed to students, along with hotspots to ensure internet access. While a challenging task, our instructors and students have stepped up to the plate and made the most of a difficult situation.
In November, Blue Ridge Job Corps received approval from the Department of Labor to bring in its first “cohort,” a group of 12 students allowed to return to campus. This begins a gradual return to on-center learning, as new cohorts will arrive every few weeks until all students are safely back on center. All staff were tested for COVID-19 prior to the students’ return, and fortunately had no positive tests. The students were also tested upon arrival before beginning a mandatory two week quarantine, and tested once more at the end of the quarantine period. This will be the process for each cohort as they arrive. A variety of additional health and safety measures have been put into place including mandatory face coverings, increased sanitation, and updates to the dormitories, cafeteria, and classrooms to promote social distancing.
“It is an exciting time as this has not happened since Job Corps first opened in 1964,” Neal Randol, Center Director said. “The idea of restarting the Job Corps Machine and returning thousands of students to educational and training opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable to them is exciting. I am looking forward to meeting the students of Blue Ridge Job Corps Center in person – socially distanced, masked, and with no handshakes,” commented Randol.