Leadership is key to being successful. At Carl D. Perkins Job Corps center, where student leaders is a key component of the Standard of Conduct. Perkins uses student leaders to encourage and help new students get adjusted to center life when they arrive and throughout the program. During the Career Preparation Program(CPP) this is what new students enter for the first 3 weeks in the program. During the first week, the recreation department along with student leaders take the CPP students through the Horizons challenge low Course Program.

This program uses experiential activities to provide participants with the opportunity to develop a host of life 　skills that are not easily taught in the traditional classroom setting, such as communication, trust & support, goal setting, problem solving, and leadership skills. The primary or underlying goal of the program is to enable participants to see themselves competent, capable, and self-reliant people who can take risks and survive momentary setbacks.

Participants are given a series of challenging task that they must accomplish as a team. The low initiatives and high events are designed to challenge the participants mentally, physically, and emotionally. . during the low initiatives portion of the training participants focus on the skills needed to work effectively in teams alongside others generally. The high portion of the program which involves the zip line, tight rope apparatus has the students face challenges that are more individual while maintaining a team orientation. This part of the program is used during the Career Development Period(CDP) after students have settled in and adjusted to center life.

Staff at the Perkins center has went through a week long facilitators training program provided by Horizons Youth Services. Staff have to be retrained each year.

This is another part of student training that ensures better students outcomes.