Nancy Shepherd, Charleston Job Corps Center’s director of outreach/admissions and career transition services, has participated for the last several months on the Job Corps’ West Virginia government coalition to spotlight the service the center provides to the citizens of the state. Through her efforts and those of other members of the coalition, the group met with staff members from Senator Shelley Moore Capito’s and Senator Joe Manchin’s offices.

During the meeting, Shepherd addressed how Job Corps addresses the needs of employers in the state by preparing candidates for the many job vacancies they have. She noted that Job Corps benefits businesses by providing a pipeline of highly qualified applicants who graduate with national certifications in their respective trades and are ready to excel in the workplace.

“For every dollar that the federal government invests in Job Corps, two dollars are returned to the economy,” said Shepherd. “That’s not counting the money that is saved on potential social service support for individuals who may otherwise not enter long-term, sustainable employment with a living wage. Job Corps is one of the success stories among all government programs and continues to be a major support for the business community.”

The coalition hopes that Senators Capito and Manchin will accept the invitations to visit Job Corps Centers in West Virginia. “We would welcome the opportunity to host our U.S. senators on the Charleston Job Corps campus,” said Mitzi DeBeer, center director. “Our programs provide a great service to the people of West Virginia through career training and preparation that businesses need.”

OA/CTS Director Nancy Shepherd and Chris Strovel, field representative for Senator Shelley Moore Capito