Dear Editor:

Sen. Susan Collins’ recent column on job training and new economic opportunities turns out to be programs dating back to 1996 when they first emerged under Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Job Corps began in 1964 when President Lyndon Johnson launched a war on poverty, building on successful methods used in the Civilian Conservation Corps. It remains a strong and vibrant program today.

That knowledge led me to locate where and when did YouthBuild develop and is it being run by the government, or part of the Koch Brothers American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) creation? Sure enough, it and its model legislative title was approved and adopted by the ALEC corporation-voting machine, “Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)”. YouthBuild was founded in 1992 by its CEO Dorothy Stoneman, and is now managing 264 programs in 46 states, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands. Eventually it moved out of HUD and into the Department of Labor (DOL). Any changes to the enacting legislation are coming from ALEC. The 2014 funding is $77.5 million.

Since YouthBuild won no further bids were sought. Instead with support of corporation-approved ALEC membership its legislative bills extend the program. It is funded by the federal government with taxpayer dollars rolling into private corporate hands. The only other training program remaining is Job Corps - managed by the Federal Government. In 2003 HUD evaluated effectiveness of the programs administered by DOL Evaluation of Job Corps was rigorous due to hard numbers being reported. YouthBuild had not been required and did not collect hard data. Where hard data existed it was found that YouthBuild was expensive relative to similar federally funded programs. Under YouthBuild 29 percent obtained their GED while 35 percent of Job Corps participants received their GED. Obtaining job results were 36 percent YouthBuild and 42-51 percent for Job Corps.

Questions for the senator are: Is YouthBuild required to report hard data today? What were ALEC changes in the bill she co-sponsored? What are the students paid when performing construction Does the government pay the employer for the training?

Jarryl Larson
Edgecomb