"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Job Corps Names Community Council Co-Chairs

"Sandy Johnson (left) of Help in Crisis was awarded the Community Relations/Partnership award by Joyce Rose, Cherokee Nation Talking Leaves Job Corps business community liaison (center) and Cherokee Nation Talking Leaves Job Corps center director, Karl Hussman (right). The award was presented recently during the Cherokee Nation TLJC’s semi-annual Community Relations Partnership Council."

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma — The Cherokee Nation Talking Leaves Job Corps (TLJC) recently named co-chairs for a special council that partners with area businesses to provide opportunities for students.

Jerry Moore, district attorney for Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah and Wagoner counties, and Gary Gore, retired Cherokee county educator, were named co-chairs of the Community Relations Partnership Council. The council meets semi-annually and is comprised of community leaders and volunteers who work throughout the year with Cherokee Nation TLJC to help its students find broader opportunities for learning experiences and jobs.

“The council is proud that these community leaders have continued to support Talking Leaves Job Corps,” said Joyce Rose, Cherokee Nation TLJC business community liaison.

The council also awarded Sandy Johnson of Help in Crisis with its Community Relations/Partnership award. Johnson has worked with Cherokee Nation TLJC as a community partner and volunteer for many years, said Rose.

Cherokee Nation Talking Leaves Job Corps is an Indian preference vocational training facility for Native American youth and others from all parts of the United States. The Tahlequah-based facility is part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s national Job Corps program and one of only four Job Corps facilities located in Oklahoma. In operation through the Cherokee Nation since 1978, the Talking Leaves facility serves approximately 400 students each year. Cherokee Nation TLJC offers students the opportunity to earn a certificate in one of the following fields: Business Office Technology, Health Occupations, Electrical Wiring, Culinary Arts, Facilities Maintenance, and Materials Handling. Students may also earn their GED while enrolled if they enter the program without a high school diploma. The national Job Corps program has been training young adults for meaningful careers since 1964. For more information about the TLJC program in Tahlequah, call 918-456-9959.