Lake County Leader: Tester visits Kicking Horse Job Corps
United States Senator Jon Tester saw first-hand the hard work that the staff and students at the Kicking Horse Job Corps Center do last Saturday.
Tester toured the campus near Ronan and saw how federal money is being used to give young people new skills for a new economic time.
“It’s about producing workers that can meet the needs of employers,” Tester said. “It’s about giving young people a skill set, and especially giving at risk kids that opportunity.”
During his visit, Tester talked with students who gave him presentations on their discipline study and showcased their work. His tour took him to Kicking Horse’s engine and welding workshops, the campus’ rec room, cafeteria, dorm room and fitness areas.
“There is federal money that is given to this program and we need to see how these dollars are appropriated,” Tester said in an interview afterward.
And by all indications, Tester was pleased with what he saw from the Kicking Horse Job Corp campus.
“Is this money well spent? I think it’s money well spent,” Tester said.
The Job Corps is a no-cost education and career technical training program for people between the ages of 16-24. It’s intended to improve the quality of life through vocational and academic training. Run by the U.S. Department of Labor, Kicking Horse is operated by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation.
