Tester tours Trapper Creek Job Corps in Darby

Job Corps Coalition presents Senator with award for support of the successful initiative

(U.S. SENATE) – After spending most of the last month meeting with Montanans across the state, Senator Jon Tester made his last Montana stop in Darby Saturday to tour Trapper Creek Job Corps.

Tester got a first-hand look at why Trapper Creek was named the best Job Corps center in the nation in 2012. The students he met were well-trained and enjoyed the work they were doing.

“Job Corps gives kids the structure they need to succeed, and Trapper Creek provides an economic benefit to the Bitterroot,” Tester said. “As Congress prepares to deal with our budget issues, we need to make sure that folks hear how effective investing in Job Corps is and the difference it makes.”

Tester asked Trapper Creek staff to send him success stories that he can share with his colleagues in the Senate.

The Montana Job Corps Coalition also recognized Tester and presented him with a plaque for his support of the initiative.

Trapper Creek Director Linda Guyzik and Community Liaison Curtis Brinkley expressed their appreciation for the Senator’s support of Job Corps, saying: “The difference that Job Corps makes in so many young lives is priceless, but providing them with the skills and education to succeed takes investment. Without the support we’ve gotten from Senator Tester, we wouldn’t be able to change the lives of our students and our communities for the better.”

Job Corps provides technical job training to 16 to 24-year-olds in a range of trades from cooking to electrical work and masonry. Students who successfully complete Job Corps often find work in their field or seek higher education or enter the military.

Tester has previously visited Montana’s two other Job Corps centers in Anaconda and Ronan.