When TaShia Chandler graduated from Delhi Charter School in 2022, she said she wasn’t sure what her next step would be. In 2023 she enrolled at the Shreveport Job Corps Center, a decision she says helped change her life.
“I had to find somewhere to go because I seen myself going down the wrong path,” Chandler said. “When I got into Job Corps, they turned my whole life around.”
Chandler completed the center’s painting career training program and earned her driver’s license while living on campus as a residential student. After graduating, she received $1,500 in completion funds and moved to Bossier City, where she now works as a cook at Bally’s Casino and also holds a second job at Popeyes.
“They helped me look for an apartment and get started,” she said. “Since I left Job Corps, I’ve just been succeeding and exceeding.”
Shreveport Job Corps Center Director Dennis Essom said Chandler’s story reflects the program’s mission to give young people practical skills and a stable foundation for work and life.
“We mentor, we monitor, we have counseling, we have health and wellness staff,” Essom said. “Every single staff member is here for a purpose, and that purpose is the student.”
Essom, who has worked in Job Corps for three decades, said the center provides vocational and academic training to students ages 16 to 24. The Shreveport facility can house 285 students and offers programs in welding, painting, carpentry, business construction technology, office administration, and certified nursing assistant (CNA). Students can also earn a high school equivalency diploma or complete an online high school program.
“We’re basically like a college campus,” he said. “We have dormitories, classrooms, trade areas, a gym, health and wellness center, and cafeteria. Students can live on campus or commute if they’re local.”
Admissions Counselor Carol Darby said the application process begins online at jobcorps.gov. After an applicant submits an inquiry, the center contacts them for a short assessment and document review, including proof of age, identification, and school records. Applicants must be between 16 and 24 and have no disqualifying criminal background.
Once accepted, Darby said, students receive a start date and begin training in their selected trade. Many also participate in work-based learning, paid hands-on training with community employers, and receive help with housing and transportation before graduation.
Darby said Chandler stood out as a “model student” who made the most of every opportunity.
“She completed her trade, got her driver’s license, saved her money, and was able to get her own apartment,” Darby said. “She’s doing wonderful, working two jobs and living independently.”
Essom said that success stories like Chandler’s show the value of Job Corps for young people who may not thrive in traditional classrooms.
“We also have homeless students here,” he said. “It’s all about safety first, and then helping them achieve their goals.”
For more information or to apply, visit jobcorps.gov or search “My Job Corps” to complete an online application.
