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Cherokee Nation reports higher national ranking, expansion plans for Job Corps and vocational programs
Summary
Executive Director Diane Kelly reported Job Corps and vocational programs ranked 30th nationally overall and highlighted local workforce placements, an upcoming Department of Labor visit, and office relocations affecting the TARO and learning center offices.
Diane Kelly, executive director, told the Cherokee Nation Education Council that the Nation’s vocational programs and Job Corps continue to perform strongly and are arranging local expansions and site moves.
Kelly said the Nation’s Job Corps center ranks 30th out of 120 nationally and that Brad Perry, a Job Corps math instructor, ranked eighth in the nation for numeracy instruction at Job Corps sites. She reported a Department of Labor project officer had arrived for a multi-day visit and would run focus groups with Job Corps staff and students.
Kelly described staff efforts to place graduates into work inside and outside Cherokee Nation and said one recent program graduate is now employed within her department. She also said Derek Meggs and his team will conduct a corporate review in the coming weeks under Brenda Fitzgerald’s oversight.
Kelly said the TARO office (a call-center conversion) has moved to EverRise in the Tahlequah industrial park and that the learning center will move to a nearby space after the TARO relocation. She noted that initial office fit-out work — including removing wiring installed for the former call center — is underway, and the timeline for finishing depends in part on weather.
Counselor Daryl Legg and several councilors thanked Kelly and staff for outreach to schools and youth programs; Legg praised George Roach’s youth recruitment for the summer employment program. Kelly said Roach has been recruiting across the 14-area region and will be active through spring and summer to approve applications and drive participation.
The council did not take formal action on the report; councilors asked clarifying questions and expressed support for continued outreach.
Kelly closed by thanking Job Corps students and staff for preparing a meal for the council meeting and encouraging program interaction between students and community partners.
