Job Corps Graduates Celebrate

On August 4, 2011, five Eritrean and Congolese refugees received their high school diplomas through the Potomac Job Corps Center located in Washington, D.C.  Job Corps is a federal program which provides free education, training, and employment assistance to low-income young people aged 16 to 24. Jobs Corps is a great alternative for refugees who are too old to enroll in high school or who wouldn’t be able to graduate in time, but want to pursue their high school diploma.

Two Job Corps graduates celebrate receiving their high school diplomas.
Photo credit: Nicole Hatch/The IRC

A total of six refugees have graduated from the Job Corps program which also provided them with dormitory-style housing, meals, and a living allowance.  In addition to mastering the art of the English language, these young people worked tirelessly to obtain their driver’s license and become certified in a technical trade.