On March 27, Job Corps held its community meeting, with a meal prepared by culinary arts students who cooked up breaded and fried ham-wrapped chicken breasts, rice and mixed vegetables. Attending the meeting to show support were members from several local businesses and organizations, including Dakota Memorial School at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, the Minot Area Homeless Coalition and Minot Adult Learning Center.

Workforce development specialist Thomas Ross with Job Corps introduced himself at the meeting as a champion of partnership collaboration.

“We have a mission that goes beyond simply providing education and skills training. We aim to empower our students to reach their fullest potential to bridge the gap between education and employment and contribute meaningfully to their communities and industries,” Ross said.

One of the most important parts of building that bridge is to foster partnerships with local businesses and organizations, he said. By doing so, not only are the students at Job Corps learning the needs of those particular industries, but they are also being taught how to fulfill those needs through work-based learning, he said.

Ciara Parizek/MDN Alexis Bell introduced herself and described what she does as the positive behavior support officer at Quentin N. Burdick Job Corps Center during the community relations meeting on March 27.

The skills and training that may be needed for a job this year could be obsolete by this time next year, so Ross and other staff work to ensure students get the most up-to-date training possible by staying in touch with employers in the community.

Partnerships made within the Minot area give the students an opportunity to work directly in their field for real world, hands-on experience. Internships and apprenticeships are offered for students, giving them a shot at getting a permanent job.

Due to offered programs that are more career-related than strictly classroom-related, the experiences of these students cannot be replicated in the classroom, according to Ross.

“This experience not only enhances their skillset but also boosts their confidence and prepares them for the demands of the workforce. But, perhaps, more importantly, partnering with area employers fosters a sense of community and responsibility,” Ross said.

Work-based learning involves students shadowing someone in their field of interest for 40 hours during the week, he said. In other cases, students may have jobs, which might or might not be permanent. The business a student works for while attending Job Corps might not be their desire for the long run, but the experience gives them a stronger resume and increased chance at gaining their desired employment down the road.

It might also be a temporary way for that student to save the money needed to transition out of student housing into independent living space or purchase a vehicle if they do not have a form of transportation.

Once students arrive at Job Corps, they come under the charge of Positive Behavior Support Officer Alexis Bell.

“I deal with the good, the bad,” Bell said. “Meeting the students where they are, and yes, it’s a labor of love. And you get dizzy, but we have a lot of staff that are really committed to doing that.”

Some of the students she has worked with did not know how to make their beds and may never have had any sort of structure in their previous environment. Everyone has their own reasons for enrolling at Job Corps, but they all have one goal, and that is to gain the skills and knowledge they will need to in their daily lives and careers, she said.

Job Corps instructors help students through the two-year program toward graduation by collaborating with students to ensure they stick to their individual plans. However, plans can change, and the staff work with the students to steer them in the correct direction to succeed, Bell said.

In addition to offering math and reading classes, Job Corps offers classes in trades, such as welding, auto, construction technology, culinary and office administration.

Acting Burdick Job Corps Center Director Curtis Shepard is also the corporate director for Human Learning Systems (HLS), the contractor providing comprehensive education and training services to youth at the Minot center.

“Our students need support from the community, from the center staff, from their parents, from everybody right now to ensure they are being developed and prepared for the real world,” Shepard said.