If you weren’t already convinced that we live in the best city around, meet Pinellas Job Corps. This amazing, tuition-free program offers eligible young people an on-campus experience with active guidance and support, a focus on academic and life skills, and on-thejob vocational training. Corey Givens Jr., program coordinator, was happy to talk about this special institution.
Full Campus Experience, Free of Charge
The program, free to all low-income applicants, comes complete with food and housing on a beautiful, 18-acre campus. “Job Corps operates as a full-service school,” Givens said. “We educate and train individuals to embark on educational and professional pursuits, such as earning a high school diploma or GED, learning life skills, and obtaining trade certifications in eight different concentrations. Instructors track social development, academic gains, and attendance, while engaging trainees in both the online course work and in-classroom curriculum. The program requires students to be in class and accountable for their actions.”
“Upon successful completion of the program, students have the option to pursue a post-secondary education while living on our campus, or attend any Job Corps in the country for advanced training. Graduates also receive workforce training and job placement assistance for up to 12 months after graduation.”
Local companies that regularly provide training and jobs to students include Power Design, Walgreens, CVS, BayCare, and Community Health Centers, while contractors from Odle Management Group, in conjunction with Eckerd Connects, the Home Builders Institute, Transportation Communications Union, and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters impart instruction, training, and apprenticeships.
Providing Opportunities and Changing Lives
Job Corps has been around since 1964, and in Pinellas since 2009. Our local branch serves more than six hundred 16- to 24-yearold students each year. The Center is operated by Odle Management Group, Inc. In February of 2020, Odle merged with Eckerd Connects to combine strengths and increase the impact for students served. Those enrolled in the program will enter the workforce with certifications in areas such as medical billing and coding, certified nursing assistant, pharmacy technician, electrical, carpentry, plumbing, and facility maintenance. During the last Job Corps program year, the Pinellas center, one of 125 in the nation, received a 97.2 percent outstanding performance rating. It ranked No. 17 the nation and No. 3 in our region. That’s a lot to be proud of! “We have learned the importance of flexibility and consistency,” Givens said of the adjustments necessitated in 2020. “Many of our students come from rough walks of life, so we do our best to provide them with stability. COVID-19 has taught us the importance of being able to adapt to new processes and procedures that don’t interrupt the success or safety of our students and staff. In April we shifted to a 100 percent virtual-learning model. Now, in accordance to CDC guidelines, we are preparing to re-open our campus to students under a new hybrid model.”
Empowering Young People
Givens, himself a proud “product of South St. Pete,” said that his great-grandparents once lived on the land that now houses the Pinellas Job Corps campus. “I can’t think of a better use for this land,” he said. “My calling in life has always been to support the needs of at-risk youth. I feel that my life’s passion is fulfilled by working at Job Corps. My greatest joy has been helping young people turn their dreams into realities and empowering them with the tools they need to create a better life for not just themselves, but their entire families.”
Givens and all the other people at Pinellas Job Corps deserve a round of applause for the wonderful opportunities they provide local young adults. This work is incredibly special and important, so please help spread the word!
For more information, visit pinellascounty.jobcorps.gov, or call (727) 551-2913.
