Miami native Shandell Harris moves to Albany to change her life

ALBANY — Last year, then-24-year-old Shandell Harris was living in Miami and at the end of her rope. Pregnant at 17 and already the mother of a 7-year-old daughter, Harris faced a future that was littered with challenges and pitfalls. Then she made a decision.

“I had to drop out of school during my 12th-grade year at Miami Northwestern Senior High School,” Harris said. “Shortly after that I tried to obtain my GED and passed all subjects but the the math part. Then I got discouraged because a new test was coming out, and I had to take it all over again. I wanted to change my life.”

As things turned out, Turner Job Corps was the answer to Harris’ prayers.

“I had heard about Job Corps and all the opportunities they have to offer, so I decided to leave Miami and relocate with my daughter to Turner Job Corps,” Harris, who has a learning disability, said. “When I arrived here, I found out she was too old to stay there. I was disappointed since she was the reason for this big move in the first place.

“I sent her back to Miami to be with her dad, and I started my journey.”

It took a while but Harris earned that coveted GED earlier this year.

“If I had to do it again, I would,” she said. “Look at me now: I can provide for my child and be her first role model. I can show her dreams, show her dreams do come true, and also show the world that no disability can stop you from rising to the top.”

Harris has since gotten a job as a home health aide, and is currently attempting to enroll at Albany Technical College, where she hopes to earn a Surgical Tech diploma.

“I’m trying to survive on my own, but I am now a better and stronger person and am depending on myself rather than others,” she said.

While students like Harris offer individual testimonials and positive news for the impact of Turner Job Corps in the community, officials at the facility also got some good business news this week when Management & Training Corporation (MTC), the largest operator of the federal Job Corps program, announced it had been awarded a contract to operate the Turner Center effective April 1.

“We are very pleased to return to the Turner Job Corps Center,” said MTC Senior Vice President of Education and Training John Pedersen. “MTC operated the Turner Center for many years and made wonderful friends throughout the community. We look forward to rekindling those relationships and developing new partnerships to help students succeed in the workplace.”

MTC has named William Coleman the new TJC director. Coleman most recently worked at the Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps Center in St. Paul, Minn., in the same capacity. Under his leadership, the Humphrey Center became one of the nation’s top-performing centers. Coleman has a long history in Job Corps, having served at the Wilmington, Del.; Philadelphia; Brunswick, Ga.; and Chicago Job Corps centers.

With the addition of the Turner Job Corps Center, MTC will operate all three centers in the state of Georgia, including the Atlanta and Brunswick centers.

The Turner Job Corps Center will serve 732 students, providing training in a variety of fields including carpentry, welding, administrative medical assistant, nurse assistant/home health aide, landscaping and culinary arts.

Job Corps provides students with quality education and training that will prepare them to succeed in the job market and become successful, tax-paying citizens.

Job Corps is a free, federal program administered by the Department of Labor. Those interested in joining Job Corps must be legal residents, 16-24 years of age, and meet certain income requirements. Once in the program, students can earn their high school diploma or an equivalency degree and earn industry-recognized certifications in a wide variety of trades. With these credentials, students are placed in quality jobs.

There are 125 Job Corps centers throughout the country. Anyone interested in joining Job Corps may call (800) 733-JOBS (5627).