JACKSONVILLE JOB CORPS CENTER HOSTS WOMEN’S CAREER DAY

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (April 27, 2023) – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Jacksonville Job Corps Center recently hosted its first Women’s Career Day. Approximately 75 young women from the Jacksonville Job Corps Center and Jean Ribault High School attended the event on April 20th and explored a variety of traditionally male-dominated careers.

Representatives from the Job Corps Atlanta Regional Office and U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, along with Dr. Helen Jackson, founding president and CEO of Women of Color Cultural Foundation, and Ashley Cook, regional director for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, joined the center’s staff, students, graduates and employer partners to provide young women in the Jacksonville area an opportunity to meet and network with industry professionals, learn about job opportunities in nontraditional occupations, and gain valuable insights into the skills and education required for these careers.

“Women account for nearly half the U.S. labor force, but only 14 percent of registered apprentices,” said Jacksonville Job Corps Center Director Paul Wykoff. “Jacksonville Job Corps is a path to those good apprenticeship jobs, especially in areas where women are underrepresented, like construction and manufacturing. You earn while you learn, avoid student debt and jump-start your career.”

While approximately 67% of global health and social care workers are women, only 25% of all jobs in computer technology are held by women, and nearly half of those women work in manufacturing. In the longshoremen profession, women currently make up only 8.3% of the workforce.

During the day, participants heard from a panel of professionals, led by Natasha Black, a program analyst with the Atlanta Women’s Bureau. The panel also included Peni Webster-Lewis, Job Corps’ Atlanta Regional Director; Blanca Jordan with Johnson & Johnson Vision, Strategic Support; Jennifer Henry, Ascension Gulf Coast’s Director Health Education Liaison; Christina Stallings, Senior Technical Director at CSX Technology and Jann J. Clark, Longshorewoman with ILA Local 1408.

After the panel discussion, Glen Bottomley, president and CEO of Heritage Services Corporation, and Katherine Bottomley, HSC board member, announced that Jacksonville Job Corps Computer Technician student Alanna Yates won the essay contest which included a 1st place trophy and a 100.00 gift card. Yates shared in her essay how she could make a difference in the IT field as a female.

“Although there are many more women than in the past that are part of the STEM field, it is still a largely male-dominated one,” she wrote. “And even though I am just one woman, I am one more woman to add to the growing roster of women working in [STEM]. I aspire for a day in the future when my children will be proud to call me a computer technician or computer science analyst.”

The Women’s Career Day event also provided tours of the Jacksonville Job Corps campus and information on its career technical training programs, free for eligible students ages 16–24.

Across the country, there are 120-plus Job Corps campuses, and three are in Florida— Jacksonville Job Corps, Miami Job Corps and Pinellas County Job Corps. Students in the program pursue careers in 10 different high-growth fields, and training programs vary by location. For more information on the Jacksonville Job Corps Center or to schedule a campus tour, visit jacksonville.jobcorps.gov.

ABOUT JOB CORPS
Job Corps is a federal career technical training and education program for young people who aspire to higher-paying careers and higher education. With over 120 residential and nonresidential locations nationwide, training is available in the nation’s fastest-growing industries to eligible 16- through 24-year-olds. The program is free of charge for students. To learn more about Job Corps, call 800-733-JOBS (5627) or visit jobcorps.gov. Visit Jacksonville Job Corps at jacksonville.jobcorps.gov.