Government is exploring the idea of bringing a US training and vocational programme for young people to Bermuda.Premier Paula Cox met a contractor from the Job Corps initiative in Bermuda four weeks ago.She had a follow-up meeting this week with the director of the United States Department of Labour Job Corps National Office during a trip to Washington DC.Job Corps is a free voluntary programme that provides education and training to vulnerable young people aged 16 to 24. It helps them learn a career, earn a high school diploma or GED and find and keep a job.Some of the participants are high school drop-outs while others wish to further their education.Ms Cox revealed yesterday in a CITV television documentary that Government is considering bringing the programme to Bermuda.The idea stems from the Mincy Report published last year, which outlined the educational and employment challenges faced by young black males.According to the Premier, the proposed new job programme may also extend to Bermuda’s young women. She explained that Government’s Washington lobbyist, Darlene Richardson, engaged Lisa Odle of Odle Management.Ms Odle has a number of Department of Labour contracts from the US Government and operates one Job Corp centre in California and another in Kentucky.According to her, Job Corp, which began in 1966, services over 60,000 young people in the US through academic, vocational and technical training.It offers occupational interest testing and also tests to determine the educational level of the young people.Ms Cox said: “Job Corps has some specifications and aspects of it that resonate with us. It can’t just be something that is imported to Bermuda wholesale, but what we have spent time on is looking at is how it operates in the US and how we can look at tailoring it to have relevance to Bermuda.”Education Minister Dame Jennifer Smith and Minister Without Portfolio Michael Weeks also participated in the meetings.Ms Cox explained: “We looked at the issue of how we help both on the education aspect but equally, and most importantly, the career track, and the career track can be both educational and academic.“Really, the core theme is about providing hope but its also about strategic partnerships with our business community and with educational institutions.”She said the US initiative has a residential component, which is being considered for Bermuda. However, the initial stage will focus on non-residential assistance, and using the Bermuda College to provide opportunities and vocational training experience in partnership with the private sector.Ms Cox said: “I think our young people want us not so much to talk down to them, or talk at them, but to look at how we can help them reach their fullest potential and I see this programme as one that can help them reach their full potential.”Ms Odle said of the planned Bermuda programme: “The reason it will give hope is, plainly put, that the youth in Bermuda will be given a second chance.”The Job Corps Bermuda documentary can be viewed on CITV’s YouTube channel, as listed below.l Useful website:www.jobcorps.gov, www.youtube.com/user/citvbermuda