On February 24, our Clearfield Job Corps was privileged to have Senator Mike Lee and his District Director, Dan Hauser visit for a tour and lunch.

Any time we are given the rare opportunity to show our elected officials the benefits our center provides to the youth of this nation and how it actually helps our country become more successful, we jump at the chance.

Senator Lee seemed genuinely impressed by how clean and organized our students are in their dorms, the up-to-date training they’re receiving and the level of success our center has achieved as 9^th in the nation.

In addition, the luncheon, catered by the Culinary Arts program was phenomenal. Attending were some of our strongest employer and community partners who expressed their continuing support for our center, and raised questions pertinent to the future of Job Corps.

Later in the afternoon, Wayne Bradshaw, Legislative Assistant to Congressman Bishop also toured the campus.

Both of these visits were very important, as they were first impressions. Neither of these people had visited a Job Corps Center prior to this occasion and you can bet that it will affect the direction they take when considering which programs to support.

Recently, the National Job Corps Association held a Policy Forum in Washington DC, stressing to all centers the importance, now more than ever, to prove that Job Corps’ return is worth the investment. We create taxpayers, and we reduce tax expenditures by taking people off the roles of unemployment and welfare. We also enrich lives in the process.

The positive relationships Job Corps builds with our community, our employers and our elected officials are what opens the door of opportunity to our students.  And it is our training and nurturing that gives them the confidence to walk through.