Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center
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Memphis Job Corps Center Renamed to Honor Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis Job Corps Center was renamed in honor of longtime civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks, a staunch supporter of the U.S. Department of Labor’s career training program for disadvantaged youth.
Among those attending and making brief remarks at the renaming ceremony were Job Corps National Director Esther R. Johnson, Ed.D.; U.S. Rep. Harold Ford, Jr.; State Rep. Larry Turner; Shelby County Mayor AC Wharton; Councilwoman TaJuan Stout Mitchell; Memphis City Schools Superintendent Dr. Carol J. Johnson; and Job Corps staff and students.
Hooks, a former NAACP executive director and ordained minister, was the first black judge of a court of record in the South and has served since 1997 as chairman of the board for MINACT, Inc., the Job Corps center’s operator.
“Dr. Hooks has given Job Corps and MINACT invaluable guidance over the years, and it is a pleasure to recognize him and use his example to encourage students as they aim for success,” said MINACT President Booker T. Jones.
The Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center focuses its career training in the health care, high-tech and warehousing industries, and serves approximately 300 students at any given time. Students have the opportunity to obtain their high school diploma or GED through a partnership with Memphis City Schools. The center staff works with area employers to provide students with real work experience.
Job Corps, a U.S. Department of Labor program, is the nation’s largest and oldest federally funded residential job training and education program for disadvantaged youth ages 16 through 24. At 122 centers nationwide, the program trains 62,000 youth each year in more than 100 different career areas. For more information about Job Corps, call (800) 733-JOBS or visit http://jobcorps.dol.gov.
MINACT, Inc., is a provider of career and educational training, career development and associated support services to young adults through Job Corps and has contracts to operate eight Job Corps centers in six states. MINACT provides services to more than 2,900 Job Corps participants.
About Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center
The Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Center is located on a 24-acre campus in the Whitehaven area of Memphis, Tennessee. The center has the capacity to serve 312 students. Southwest Community College, Tennessee Technical Center and State Tech. provides instructions for Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps students in Advanced Training and Advanced College Training programs. Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks Job Corps Medical Assistant and Phlebotomy students receive National Certification. Material Handler students receive a national forklift license as part of the training.
