The Department of Labor & Workforce Development administers the New Jersey Youth Corps, a program that offers young adults between 16 and 25 who have left high school without graduating the opportunity to both earn a high school diploma and gain work skills through meaningful community service. More than 14,000 young people have participated in the New Jersey Youth Corps since it was established in 1984.

Corps members attend educational classes and receive personal and career counseling while also participating in community service projects. In addition to a high school degree, those who complete the program receive help with college referrals, assistance with job placement and a personal career portfolio.

Following is a more detailed look at what The New Jersey Youth Corps offers young people.

A high school degree

New Jersey Youth Corps staff design individual education plans for each member. Members spend half their time in classes geared to helping them earn a GED (General Equivalency Diploma) or an Adult High School Diploma. In class, they work in large and small groups and receive individual assistance as necessary. Instruction is also incorporated into their community service projects.

Work

The New Jersey Youth Corps arranges for each young person to participate in a community service project. The projects provide controlled, supervised work situations that allow Corps members to develop the maturity and skills necessary to be a good employee.

Youth Corps members work in a team or "crew" that is led by an experienced Crew Supervisor. Each crew works on a project that that benefits the community, such as landscaping or beautification, or helps in hospitals, food banks or senior centers. These projects help the community and provide Corps member with valuable socialization and employment skills.

Over the years, Youth Corps members have been involved in many major projects. They helped construct and staff New Jersey's first children's museum, transformed an old train station into a tourist information center, constructed a recycling center, rebuilt homes after hurricanes and served as emergency medical technicians on urban rescue squads.

Personal and Career Counseling

The New Jersey Youth Corps provides on-going counseling intended to help Corps members overcome barriers to personal, academic and employment success. They learn skills that will make them more employable and participate in activities designed to help them develop better self-esteem, clarify their values and develop leadership skills.

Money

The New Jersey Youth Corps provides a stipend to young people while they are enrolled in the program.