Additionally, Job Corps students who are Ohio residents will be eligible for the Wilberforce University 15% tuition reduction plan.
Wilberforce students, in turn, will have access to internship and career opportunities through DJC. The Dayton vocational school offers training in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and automotive repair, to name a few.
The long-term goal of the partnership is to offer a “seamless connection” for young people between the workforce and educational institutions, officials said.
“Our combined effort to support those who seek more knowledge and education, particularly in higher education, will assist with transformational change for not only today but for generations to come,” said Victor Jones, a Wilberforce alumnus and DJC career transition specialist.
“It opens up tremendous opportunities for our students,” said Rowan Torrey, director of operations at DJC. “Some of the students in Job Corps have not had exposure to that connectivity. Their parents may not have been to college, or have not been exposed to workforce training opportunities. This gives them the tools they need to strive towards those opportunities.”
DJC already has between 12 and 20 students lined up to take classes in the spring, though that number is expected to grow. Wilberforce’s program is currently under development and will be offered to students beginning in the spring semester.
“We pride ourselves in having ‘college-to-career’ opportunities. This will allow our students to have opportunities beyond Wilberforce for internships, job shadowing, as well as work-related opportunities as they continue to grow toward their degrees,” said William Woodson, Wilberforce COO.
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