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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, On November 20, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson |
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announced that Camp Gary in San Marcos, Texas, would serve as the |
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site of a new federal vocational training facility, and for more |
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than 40 years, the Gary Job Corps Center has contributed to |
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fulfilling the hopes and dreams of thousands of disadvantaged |
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youths in Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, The Gary Job Corps Center, the largest such facility |
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in the nation, has provided ongoing training and education classes |
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for at-risk youths in Texas, offering instructional classes in over |
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two dozen fields, including business computers, auto diagnostics, |
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health care, heating and cooling, and construction trades; ESL |
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(English as a Second Language) courses are also available, along |
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with driver's training and academic subjects leading to the |
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completion of a GED; and |
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WHEREAS, The accomplishments of the Gary Job Corps Center |
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extend beyond the classroom to assisting in the construction of |
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community facilities in Central Texas, and in 2002 students |
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assisted the United States Army Corps of Engineers with an effort to |
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prevent flooding in Austin; the center has been recognized numerous |
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times over the years, receiving four awards at the 2005 Job Corps |
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Region IV Vocational Conference in Dallas, including first place |
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for vocational production and an award for the center's Business |
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and Industry Council; and |
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WHEREAS, Unfortunately, the United States Department of |
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Labor National Office of Job Corps is considering the elimination |
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of 240 student training slots at the Gary Job Corps Center; the |
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elimination of these slots would result in approximately 360 Texas |
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youths losing the opportunity to participate in Job Corps programs |
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at the center; additionally, 63 staff positions would be |
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permanently eliminated, the local community would experience an |
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economic loss of nearly $4.5 million, and local employers would |
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lose the valuable asset of well-trained employees; and |
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WHEREAS, While Texas has not been immune to a nationwide |
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decline in Job Corps enrollment, the state is committed to the |
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success of the Gary Job Corps Center and is prepared to assist the |
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center in recruitment efforts to achieve and maintain 100 percent |
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capacity; the at-risk youths of Texas deserve every opportunity |
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afforded to them, and the elimination of the student training slots |
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at the facility would be a detriment not only to prospective |
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students, but to the State of Texas as a whole; now, therefore, be |
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it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby urge the United States Department of Labor to reconsider the |
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proposed reduction in student training slots at the Gary Job Corps |
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Center in San Marcos, Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward an |
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official copy of this resolution to the secretary of the United |
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States Department of Labor. |