Eckerd Connects Students Visit the White House
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Luisa Whipple
Lwhipple@eckerd.org
(727) 461-2990, Ext. 3267
(Pictured left to right: Trent Dixon, Carl Hilliard [Center Director], DayJai Glover, Jamari Carter, Julie Su [Deputy Secretary of Labor], Zhariah Jones, Ramond Johnson, Luis Montilla Vargas)
(Washington, DC – November 18, 2022) – As Eckerd Connects continues to connect youth and adults to their career futures and potential, the Potomac Job Corps campus in Washington, D.C. made dreams come true!
On Wednesday, November 2, six Potomac students represented the entire Job Corps program at the White House’s Talent Pipeline Challenge launch. The Talent Pipeline Challenge’s goal is to fill high quality jobs that will help rebuild America’s infrastructure and supply chains.
The six Potomac Job Corps construction, electrical and plumbing students had a unique opportunity to walk around the White House and meet U.S. Department of Labor officials such as Deputy Secretary of Labor, Julie Su; Acting Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration, Brent Parton and National Director of Job Corps, Rachel Torres.
“The students had a front row seat to hear directly from President Joe Biden on the importance of closing the workforce gap and how each one of our students could help.” says Carl Hilliard, Potomac Center Director. “Students also had opportunity to network with industry leaders with national labor unions while testing out their skills on the latest and emerging industry technology.”
As students were leaving the Potomac Job Corps campus – in VIP style – teachers, instructors, peers, parents, and friends were cheering! The students and staff that represented Potomac Job Corps were overwhelmed with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. More importantly, it was yet another display of Eckerd’s focus on preparing the next workforce generation.
About Eckerd Connects
Eckerd Connects was founded in 1968 by Jack and Ruth Eckerd with the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed. The national nonprofit organization has connected about 316,000 people to the help they need through programs in job corps, workforce development, juvenile justice, and family & children services.
For more information about Eckerd Connects, visit www.eckerd.org.
About Potomac Job Corps Center
At Potomac Job Corps Center, we support the Job Corps program’s mission to teach eligible young people the skills they need to become employable and independent and place them in meaningful jobs or further education.
For more information about Potomac Job Corps Center, visit potomac.jobcorps.gov.