H.Con.Res. 163 is expected to be considered on the floor of the House on Tuesday, September 22, 2009, under a motion to suspend the rules, requiring a two-thirds vote for passage. The resolution was introduced by Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) on July 8, 2009.
H.Con.Res. 163 would resolve that the House of Representatives:
• "Supports the designation of "National Job Corps Day"; and
• "Encourages State and local governments to observe the day with appropriate activities that promote awareness of Job Corps."
The federal government appropriates approximately $1.5 billion a year for Job Corps. According to a recent impact evaluation of Job Corps which studied the impact of Job Corps on participants compared to similar individuals who did not participate in the program, the results were not positive. In fact, the study found that compared to non-participants, Job Corp participants were less likely to earn a high school diploma (7.5 percent versus 5.3 percent), and that they were no more likely to attend or complete college. Four years after participating in the evaluation, the average weekly earnings of Job Corps participants was $22 more than the average weekly earnings of the control group and employed Job Corps participants earned $0.22 more in hourly wages compared to employed control group members.
