Turner Job Corps Albany students celebrate 60th anniversary

ALBANY – This parade had the traditional trappings of a band, cheerleaders and walkers carrying banners But it also included a front-end loader and big flatbed truck, a nod to the biggest program at Turner Job Corps in Albany.

Like Job Corps centers around the country, Albany students and staff celebrated the 60th anniversary of the federal program that helps young people receive high school equivalency diplomas and job training.

Job Corps was established as part of the Economic Opportunity Act, signed into law on Oct. 20, 1964, by President Johnson. Since then it has trained and educated more than 3 million students, offering training in more than 100 areas across 10 industries and providing skills and career opportunities to participants ages 16 through 24 nationwide.

There are about 520 students at the Albany campus.

Among those on hand on Friday was Williams Morris. The 19-year-old moved around a lot as part of a military family and said he had no direction when he graduated high school. He has training in forklifts and is now working on certification in heavy equipment operation and commercial driving.

“I came here because I had nowhere else to go,” he said. “I really didn’t have a lot. A high school diploma is all I arrived here with. When I leave here, I’ll have everything I need for my career. I’ll have a job to work. I’ll have a driver’s license; I will have CDLs.”

He will also be a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which represents operators of heavy equipment, mechanics and other trades.

The Job Corps programs are free, and students also receive a stipend.

“If you can ignore all of it (distractions) and stay focused, I would say you can be more successful than if you had gone to college,” Morris said. “The (instructors) who work here have worked the jobs they teach. There are a lot of people focused on getting us where we need to be.”

James Harris, a 17-year-old from Newnan, said that Turner Job Corps gave him a second chance. He initially chose the electrical path but is now in diesel and gasoline mechanics.

“I came here because my grades weren’t too great in high school,” he said. “I begged my dad to enroll me here. As soon as I got here, I knew it was for me. We get paid to learn.”

In addition to heavy equipment operations, trades taught in Albany include bricklaying, carpentry, clinical nurse assistant, medical administrative assistant, office administration, culinary arts, electrical, facilities maintenance, plastering, tile setting, welding and heavy construction.

Job Corps has more than 120 locations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Other Georgia Job Corps locations are Brunswick and Atlanta.

Following the parade, students packed the gym at the sprawling facility that formerly served as an air base for the U.S. Air Force and Navy.

After a performance by the Dougherty High School marching band, the students heard from former participants in the program.

For Tim Chappell, who was at Turner in the mid-2000s, TJC was a “stepping stone.” He was the first speaker at the center’s black history program, captain of the basketball team and was involved in the MALES mentoring group. He has continued his role as a mentor and speaks at middle and high schools and juvenile detention centers.

“Being in the leadership portion allowed me to be prepared to be in leadership roles in the real world,” he said during an interview following his presentation to the students. “I got chills when I walked in here. I’m glad to see the evolution of what (the center) has become.”

Now employed as a supervisor at a Hilton hotel in Valdosta, Chappell said he would like to be part of Turner’s future.

“I’m just ready to come back and be part of this, whether it’s coaching or mentoring,” he said. “This is really what my passion is.”

After a slow start and too much “partying,” Valdosta native Lydia Tooley-Whitlock said she buckled down after she saw friends successfully complete their programs at Turner. She has since started an alumni group for students who were on the campus from 2000-2002.

She worked in security for 12 years after leaving and is now a licensed cosmetologist, a job she said she loves.

“I came to Turner Job Corps 24 years ago, and it was the best decision I ever made,” she told a Herald reporter. “It feels like coming home. (Students should) take advantage of the opportunities you have, because you don’t have a second chance.

“Just because you get your GED doesn’t mean it’s the end. You can pursue anything you want from here. The Job Corps is not the limit; the sky is not the limit.”

Nationally, the Job Corps is moving toward “Job Corps 2.0,” Albany campus Executive Director Nathaniel Cooper said. Locally, that will mean more of a presence in the community and building on existing partnerships.

Some of the local entities with which the local center has memorandums of understanding are the city of Albany and Dougherty County, as well as Albany Technical College and Albany State University, where students can pursue dual enrollment programs.

TJC recently formed a partnership with Goodwill, which will assist students with things like resume writing, job placement and clothing.

“The program has evolved, and we’re at Job Corps 2.0, continuing our program moving in the right direction, getting young people trained and moving toward careers,” Cooper said.

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]