For those young people in need of a job, but are in need of assistance, the Flint Hills Job Corps, located in Manhattan, provides free job training for those who qualify. The program provides training in carpentry, cement-masonry, construction craft laborer, dental assistant, facility maintenance technology,  plumbing, security & protective services, CNA, Home Health aide, and recently revamped high school academics or high school equivalency for those ages 16 through 24.
“The trades offered are based on the Kansas labor market,” said Christie Kelly, Outreach and Admissions counselor in Great Bend.  “The current trades are focused mainly in the health and construction based fields.”
“The program usually takes students between nine months to one year to complete; it depends on their training needs,” said Kelly. “If they would like their high school diploma it will take closer to a year to finish training and school.”
“On average we have between 230-260 graduates from Flint Hills Job Corps every year,” said Kelly. “Since we are a year round school, we maintain enrollment of at least 200 young adults.
“We are also one of only six Job Corps out of 125 in the nation that has a single parent program,” she said. “Single parents can enroll and live on campus with their children. The child development center is located on campus, and we currently have 32 enrolled.”
There is a single parent dorm where students may live with their children.
The Job Corps Program was created in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson as one of his programs dedicated to help fight the “War on Poverty.” This year celebrates the 50th anniversary as a program.
Flint Hills Job Corps Center began operating in February of 1992. It is the only Job Corps located in the state of Kansas.
“Students in Barton County have been eligible to attend Flint Hills Job Corps since its opening,” said Kelly. “The Great Bend Job Corps Admissions Office opened January of 2014.
“The Great Bend Admissions Office, located in the Great Bend Workforce Center, serves as my home base as the Western Kansas Admissions Counselor,” she said. “My recruitment territories include 65 counties. This includes everything west of Marshall, Riley and Morris counties.”
Job Corps has no cost to its students or their families. Throughout training, students receive a basic living allowance. As training progresses, the living allowance will increase. Job Corps can also helps students get started after they graduate with a transition allowance. This allowance is based on your academic and career skills achievement while in Job Corps.
Job Corps is a no-cost education and career technical training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Call 620-793-5445 for more information.