Morganfield Job Corps Students Speak Out Against New Cutbacks
By: Casie Mason
Updated: January 11, 2013
It's a story that continues to have a lot of people talking. The Job Corps Academy confirmed yesterday that a rumored cutback is expected to happen through June. This news has several students in the Job Corps wondering about the future.
The Earle C. Clements Job Corps Academy is a government organization. Now due to a 'savings plan' seven of these academies will see a huge cutback in the number of student slots available. One of these locations is in Morganfield, and now some concerned students are speaking out.
As news of major cutbacks to the Morganfield Job Corps spreads, directors are not ready to talk, but these students certainly are. "To me I never had anything in life. I grew up. I never had anything. I came to Earle C. Clements Job Corps, and my life became more and more better," says a concerned student. With fear of a cutback these students worry about those who will never get the same opportunities they've been given.
"Like I said, everybody struggles everyday and to have an opportunity like Earle C. Clements Job Corps Academy. It's very, very wonderful. We are not a bad center, we are just here to make out lives better and our families too," adds the students.
Now they are reaching out for help. "We are just asking for Morganfield community to please help us. We need you. It's a good center. People leave here every day to graduate." These students are not the only ones concerned. In a statement released to Eyewitness News Kentucky Congressmen Ed Whitfield, in part, says this decision is not one he supports."The Department of Labor's Decision to cut six hundred and fifty student slots at the Earle C. Clements center is unacceptable. The department of labor has not provided any justification for this arbitrary number," says Whitfield.
The students say they're ready to go to battle to defend the place that fought for them. "We are just going to reach out to the Senator and let them know really do care. We really want to keep this place running and going," and the Morganfield students. It's a fight they say they won't take laying down.Congressman Whitfield says, while he realizes the financial condition of the country, the government should exercise fiscal restraint. A move like this, he says, will hurt the local economy.
The Earle C. Clements Job Corps Academy is a government organization. Now due to a 'savings plan' seven of these academies will see a huge cutback in the number of student slots available. One of these locations is in Morganfield, and now some concerned students are speaking out.
As news of major cutbacks to the Morganfield Job Corps spreads, directors are not ready to talk, but these students certainly are. "To me I never had anything in life. I grew up. I never had anything. I came to Earle C. Clements Job Corps, and my life became more and more better," says a concerned student. With fear of a cutback these students worry about those who will never get the same opportunities they've been given.
"Like I said, everybody struggles everyday and to have an opportunity like Earle C. Clements Job Corps Academy. It's very, very wonderful. We are not a bad center, we are just here to make out lives better and our families too," adds the students.
Now they are reaching out for help. "We are just asking for Morganfield community to please help us. We need you. It's a good center. People leave here every day to graduate." These students are not the only ones concerned. In a statement released to Eyewitness News Kentucky Congressmen Ed Whitfield, in part, says this decision is not one he supports."The Department of Labor's Decision to cut six hundred and fifty student slots at the Earle C. Clements center is unacceptable. The department of labor has not provided any justification for this arbitrary number," says Whitfield.
The students say they're ready to go to battle to defend the place that fought for them. "We are just going to reach out to the Senator and let them know really do care. We really want to keep this place running and going," and the Morganfield students. It's a fight they say they won't take laying down.Congressman Whitfield says, while he realizes the financial condition of the country, the government should exercise fiscal restraint. A move like this, he says, will hurt the local economy.
