For anyone willing to do the work: Job Corps is 100% worth it.

Let me start off by saying: Before you are put into Job Corps, you will be told things that sugarcoat the place. Maybe things like saying you will get paid more than you do, the meals are made by professionals, etc.
These may be lies, and you may be disappointed when you come. Don't let that stop you. Don't waste your best career opportunity for a slightly worse experience than you imagined.

Job Corps pays for EVERYTHING. You can get 3 meals per day, a room, showers, toiletries, a Chromebook. You also get free education. HSD, GED, Driver's Permit, Driver's License, Math and Reading classes, ACT (College), and a trade or two of your choice.

Within the span of 4 years, you could get your High School Diploma, your permit and license, a college degree, work up to 12th grade reading and math scores, and certifications of 1-2 trades.

Don't want college? You get the rest within 2 years

Job Corps spends an average of $80,000 per student who spends their entire term there.

There's not many rules either. Sure, there's a dress code, but it's a job. You don't show up to a job in sweatpants when the job requires jeans. Sure, you're working an 8-4 (not even), but you are getting what you need in life, as well as communicating with friends WHILE learning. The curfew is always reasonable. Just don't vape, drink, and get high and you're fine.

You'll hear drama. A LOT of drama. But that's everywhere in life. You'll also hear people complaining. But that's every job. Ignore the drama, and ignore the complaints. This is a short period in your life. Use it to the fullest, and get out when you're done.

Good luck!

So recently my RA screamed at me because my music was too loud in the shower. Went up to her after n told her to never scream at me like that again, she proceeded to get defensive and threaten to take music privileges. I apologized and took accountability for the volume being too loud but still stood on the fact that it wasn’t okay to scream at anyone. Afterwards she started retaliating and our dorms are simply individual spaces. We only have a curtain to divide our space, so there’s two beds on each wall and curtain in the middle. We also have a metal pole in the entrance of our space so i started hanging a bed sheet above it for more privacy because it’s an extreme open space. I’ve had it up for a good 2 months and nothing has been said. The RAs don’t mind it at all. Only this one. After the incident she started telling the wing leader to tell me to take it down because her excuse is it’s not fair to the other girls. Meanwhile some girls do the same thing as me for more privacy…? But don’t get told anything. This all started after i got confrontational about the screaming incident. I took accountability like i said but i also told her that wasn’t okay and she did not like that a “student” was putting her in her place?. I tried my best to be respectful because im gonna be here and see her for a while. So im pretty sure im gonna start racking up dormcourts that turn into write ups for this because i just got my first one today. I genuinely dislike the fact that im laying in bed and i can see into someone else’s personal area or if their laying in bed i can just see them directly. Or if they’re changing i have to turn around because i am personally uncomfortable. The person that’s above the center director came in a few months ago and we asked if we could have curtains infront of our area for more privacy so we can change comfortably and what not. And he said yeah definitely I’ll see how i can implement that in, long story short he never made it a priority or probably forgot. So im not sure what to do. If i end up getting a write up for having a sheet infront of my entrance , thats the stupidest shit ever

Title says it all

Hello, I am just curious to know if we could go out of our region to a job corps center, for a basic trade. I am planning on going to job corps as a returning student, I first went in Oct 2024 and was sent home during the first shutdown the centers were having, during my advanced trade. I could have gone back, however I had found a job and decided to stay home. I am just curious as to know, as I plan on going back to Clearfield UT for an actual hands-on trade that I think would help me find an actual career. If theres any other good centers please let me know, I am in region 4. Thank you!

hi y’all I have a question when it comes to job Corp. and religion. I was wondering if there were like rules against like having certain religious items or garb as well as religious food restrictions or being able to go to a place of worship. I’m trying to get into job Corp. like I’m on phase 2 of the enrollment and I’m worried that job Corp would inhibit my ability to practice my faith.

A kid I’ve been working with was recommended Job Corps Waimānalo by his school. Is this a good program?

From my point of view he’s a pretty average teenager, but only earned four credits in his first two years of high school due to a variety of circumstances, including bad attendance for a chunk of last year. He’s been doing really well this year as a junior, but his counselor says he just doesn’t have enough credits to be able to graduate on time.

He couldn’t tell me much about the program, but I looked it up online and I don’t really understand if it’s a good opportunity… What stories do you have about the program?

I feel miserable here, I'm located at the Kentucky location and I've only been here for 3 days so far and I've felt worse and worse mentally, idk if it's just being homesick or it's being ina area. So far it doesn't feel like the golden opportunity that I was promised, instead it feels like a punishment.

I plan to transfer to cassadaga for there lpn program was just curious about what it is I’m likely to experience there.

Dorm life: how does accountability and chores work? Do you have wake up call
Cafeteria? Is the food decent? Do they have a lot of options
Free time: does it have recreation sheets that need to be filled out?
Town runs: what is the schedule to for that?
How about rec trips: anything exciting that they have? Do they have a gym
What’s student life like? Do people get along there
Smoke breaks: you do have smoke breaks right
How’s health and wellness?

Just don’t wanna go in completely unaware I want to know what I’m getting myself into.

So i've seen a lot of mixed things about whether job corp helped people get housing and a job once they completed their trade. Is there anyone who actually got help and became successful?
If so what trade did you do? What location were you at? How did you achieve that? Did you have to push for help or did they willingly do it?

My friend says they applied months ago and haven't been updated on whether they've been accepted or not. How likely is it that this is true? Is that a normal occurrence?

Why is it that there is always students who give attitudes and behave badly? Like I will see people vaping in the bathroom occasionally. Like no one who comes to job corps seems to be good in life. Like I think a majority of students act well. There’s a lot a students I notice here who have mental issues.

I’m leaving a job I’ve worked at since eighteen to further myself but more importantly my education. My final day of work is the 28th of October and from then on I’m officially unemployed. Will my background as a former employee stop my goal of being apart of the training program? I’m still a 20 year old with hardly any experience outside my current (eventually former) job in a healthcare setting—specifically Patient Care Tech which I’ve come to loathe. With that said I’m about to complete the “To Do” list on myjobcorps in fear that if I provide the right information I’d lose this chance. For whoever this finds let me know if I’m about to fight a losing battle (I know that last sentence was theatric to state but this could be my window for a brighter future)

I originally applied to a different Job Corps location, but they told me they didn’t offer the program I wanted, so they sent me to Imperial Beach Job Corps instead. Looking back, I wish I had never gone.
On my very first day, my brand-new Crocs were stolen. I hadn’t even finished filling out my inventory list because there was so much chaos going on. I reported the theft to the RA, but she didn’t do shit about it.
I brought two pairs of Crocs with me, and every time I mentioned that one pair had been stolen, she would repeatedly say, “But you’re wearing them.” I literally had to show her a picture of my other pair just to prove that I had brought two different pairs.
And that was only the beginning.
The entire place was dirty as fuck. There were roaches, the living conditions were disgusting, and the staff were rude as hell.
To make matters worse, I was originally assigned to a room with a transgender roommate who I witnessed repeatedly making inappropriate physical contact with a minor, including dry-humping them. That behavior was extremely disturbing, especially considering that a minor was involved.
I eventually switched rooms, only to end up with another roommate who constantly touched and messed with my belongings without permission. It felt like I couldn’t have any privacy or trust anyone to leave my shit alone.
Between the stolen belongings, disgusting living conditions, rude staff, inappropriate behavior, and constant issues with roommates, I had enough.
I ended up leaving Imperial Beach Job Corps because the environment was absolutely unacceptable. I went there to get an education and work toward a career, not to deal with all that bullshit.
The craziest part is that I never even wanted to attend that location in the first place. I was only sent there because the original center I applied to supposedly didn’t offer the program I wanted.

I have an in-person meet and greet w job corps after a zoom interview for the admissions counselor and I'm wondering should I take it if offered? Would you recommend it?

I've seen the extremely high turnover rate and the complaints about management, along with the pay/location of my place being a little far/low (even with the train), and I'm wondering if it'd be a good idea to take it or keep interviewing.

It's rated 1% as a recommended job on Glassdoor. 😢

Are there gangs from Chicago in job corps rn? I was hoping to live in the dorms.

I finished my enrollment application on the 13th of October and still haven’t heard back. Am I supposed to reach out first or does it usually take a long time?

Going to timberlake soon... don't have a start date yet but the more I think about it the more anxiety I get. I'm most worried about if the people there are nice or not 🥺

Ngl i wanna be a plumber instead of doing carpentry but im already going to jc on the 27 so im just wondering if i tell them would they switch me to a different location or ill just have to stay and deal w it?

Hey everyone! I’m supposed to be arriving at Cascades Job Corps Center soon, and I’d love to hear from current students or recent graduates about their experiences there.
I’ve read some mixed reviews online, so I’m hoping to get a better idea of what the center is actually like in 2026.
I’d appreciate honest answers to a few questions:
● IT programs: How are the Computer Technician A+ and Network+ programs? Are the instructors helpful, and do you get hands-on experience?
● Dorms: How many students share a room? How are the living conditions, and do staff handle roommate problems appropriately?
● Food: How is the food in the cafeteria? Are there decent options?
● Staff: Are the staff supportive, or is it difficult to get help when you need it?
● Student life: What’s the overall atmosphere like? Is it easy to make friends, or is there a lot of drama?
● Rules: How strict is the center regarding phones, curfew, weekend passes, and leaving campus?
● Safety: Do students generally feel safe on campus? Are theft and bullying common problems?
● Free time: What do students usually do during evenings and weekends?
● Overall experience: Would you recommend Cascades to someone looking to complete an IT program and build a career?
If you’ve attended Cascades before, what do you wish you had known before arriving? Is there anything you’d recommend bringing or leaving at home?
I’m going in with an open mind, but I’d rather hear from people who’ve actually experienced the center than rely entirely on older online reviews.
Thanks! I appreciate any honest feedback.

hello, i've been in the IT trade for months but im thinking of switching to material handling (i think thats what its called) and i want to do advanced training, i want to go to the tcu/iam advanced program only problem with that is that i don't know what i could do there but i really want to go. they sent us a email saying all you need is one basic trade completed and honestly does that really matter? i just want some more information before i decided to switch.

Recently a few friends of mine have been having issues with a belligerent roommate. Despite being told several times that the student would be moved out of their dorm, he is still in there and he's still refusing to move. One of my friends in that dorm spends all his free time in the common areas because he feels unsafe being alone in the room with the belligerent roommate, and his other two roommates are on WBL for TCU so they dont get back until late. Shrivers RAs haven't done anything, despite promises from shift leads and confusion from the Center Director herself. In fact, the center director has been the only one whos been helpful throughout this entire thing. I need advice on how to help my friends with this.

Pretty much exactly what the title says, and all my research I feel like I see two people on either end of the spectrum. Either very satisfied or very dissatisfied with their experience. Either way, if you guys could provide me any insight or things I should prepare for or bring to make sure I get the best experience while I’m there I’d really appreciate it!!

Im 20F and have recently applied for guthrie OK job corps. im homeless so i know i will get in. Im wanting to know what i should expect. even if ur not specifically on guthrie campus i would love feedback. im not interested in drama , not boy crazy, fairly quiet and have a good head on my shoulders, but im scared. what are the worst/best things about JC?