Recent studies by Manpower and the National Association of Manufacturers cite a “serious shortage of qualified employees.” Forty-four percent (44%) of American employers say they cannot find talent to fill staffing needs. T he State Department of Workforce Development estimates that the construction industry alone will need 38,000 new workers by 2008.

Youth, particularly in Milwaukee, need additional options for education and training. Although the Milwaukee Public Schools’ graduation rate has increased, only 67% of students graduate, and the majority of younger workers in Milwaukee County do not have a college education.

The City of Milwaukee worked closely with the U.S. Department of Labor to reserve funding for a Job Corps center that will offer comprehensive training, education and supportive services, including supervised dormitory housing, meals, medical care and counseling. Training will be provided in a campus-like residential center, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which provides students with a supervised academic and residential setting.

The average length of participation is 7 months, during which time students improve their math by 2.4 grade levels and their reading by 2.6 grade levels.

90% of all Job Corps graduates got jobs, enlisted in the military or enrolled in higher education in 2004.

The Milwaukee Job Corps center is a tremendous economic development opportunity. The Department of Labor will spend approximately $28 million for construction of the campus, which will include a childcare facility, dormitory, recreation building, cafeteria, and classrooms. After the campus is built, the Department of Labor will provide approximately $10 million annually for the operation of the Job Corps site, which would employ an estimated 70 full-time staff.

Studies show that Job Corps returns $2.20 in additional student earnings, taxes paid and reduced social costs for every dollar invested in the program.