My Experience at Ouachita Job Corps

It's been almost 15 years since I've attended and graduated from the now closed Ouachita Job Corps Center. During my time there, I've had my highs and lows. For those who are unfamiliar with Job Corps, it's a residential career training program for 16–24-year-olds, helping them learn a trade, complete their high school education, and also guiding them to transition towards meaningful careers, prepping them for the workforce. As of 2025, there are 121 Job Corps Centers. I attended Ouachita Job Corps Center in May 2010 and it was located in Royal, Arkansas, which was located outside of Hot Springs. There were four separate dorms (Dorms 1, 2, and 3 for the males, while Dorm 4 was for the females). As for the guys, the dorm that you stayed in depended on the trade that you were taking. For instance, I resided in Dorm 2 for the duration of my time at Job Corps and my trade of choice was Office Administration. I'm going to share my likes and dislikes about the program. This is in no way of bashing the Job Corps program or discourage others from taking part in it. The following are my own personal experiences and opinions. Most of the people that attended the same Job Corps center as I did or other centers, would agree with some or all of the things that I'm about to talk about.

Job Corps is Free to Attend

You don't have to pay for room or board, utilities, or training. If you're seeking to further your education, but don't want to be in thousands of dollars in debt, then Job Corps might be the right fit for you.

Ridiculous Rules

These are just some of the rules we had to follow. According to most people, Job Corps felt like a prison or the military. For example, everyone had to be in their dorms by 9;00 at night Sunday through Thursday nights and Friday and Saturday nights by 11:00 for roll call. It's basically making sure that everyone in each dorm was accounted for. One of the staff or dorm leaders would take attendance. Then, we would start cleaning up the bathrooms. Finally, at 10:00 on Sunday through Thursday nights and at midnight Friday and Saturdays, it's lights out. I was 22 years old at the time and was not keen with having a set bedtime. To be fair, the first few months of me being at Job Corps, we stayed up as late as we wanted to. The reason for the set bedtimes was to ensure that everyone got at least eight hours of sleep. Almost every night before we went to bed, we were given a snack.

There were a couple of rules I never understood. The first one was that everyone had to have their shirts tucked in at all times and the second was having shoelaces of only two colors: gray and black. For the tucked in shirts rule, we had to do this while at our designated training areas (which is the only thing I agreed with), at the cafeteria, assemblies, going out to Walmart, and even on special trips. This rule was lifted several times, allowing everyone to have their shirts untucked on Fridays after class and weekends. As far as the shoelaces rule, the reason why we were allowed to have them in only gray and black was because any color other than these two were considered gang related, which didn't make any sense. Oh, and certain flat billed caps with logos were banned. For example, flat billed Chicago White Sox caps were banned, because just like shoelaces that aren't gray or black, they were considered gang related.

Cafeteria Food

We were fed three meals a day. While some of the food was delicious, I felt constipated on a regular basis. I'm not sure what they put in the food, but it led me to go from 115 pounds to 180 pounds. I was a very skinny guy from the time I started elementary school in the early 90s to that point. I eventually lost 55 pounds and ate more fruits and salads. Not only that, but I drank more water. Chilli cheese dogs was the one of the foods that tore my stomach up. Any time I would consume them, I was heading for the toilet within an hour.

Vocational Training

There was a plethora of trades to choose from, such as Welding, Urban Forestry, and Office Administration. Trades do vary by Job Corps Center and the completion of your training depends on you. The more you learn different skills at a fast pace, the sooner you'll complete your trade. My trade of choice was Office Administration. I had to learn everything about Microsoft applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. On top of that, I was taught how to write business letters, writing up invoices, graphics, and so on. Every Friday, we all had to present our PowerPoint presentations to the entire class of what we have learned during the week. Growing up, I was shy and afraid to speak in front of people. Plus, I had difficulties with eye contact, due to my Autism diagnosis. However, it took me a while to overcome that. I started this trade in June 2010 and completed it in August 2011. It took me a year and two months to accomplish this feat. So, depending on how fast you complete your chosen trade, you can finish it in less than a year.

Roommates

I've made some great friends while I was at Job Corps. I was in a dorm and in a room between four and six other guys. We had our conflicts at times, but for the most part, we got along well. I was often bullied and once threatened, contemplating leaving the program altogether. Luckily, one of the weekend staff members in our dorm convinced me to stay because I was too good of a person to just give up. So, I ended up staying and focused on finishing my trade.

Graduation

When I was told by my instructor that I would be graduating in September 2011, I was elated and looking forward to the big day. Not only that, but I would be giving the graduation speech. I started writing my speech and put so much thought in it. Fast forward to September 29: the day of my graduation. I was the only one from my trade that was graduation, alongside with others from different trades. After the graduates and I were introduced, I went on stage to deliver my speech. When I got done with it, I received a standing ovation from the audience. Finally, there were a few more encouraging words from different staff members, and it was official: We were the graduating Class of 2011. After the graduation ceremony, a few people came up to me said that they loved my speech and was inspirational. Every graduate received a class ring. I stayed on campus until towards the end of October, because I was accepted into another vocational school in Hot Springs, which I would later graduate from with Honors the following May.

Hard Work Pays Off

When you complete the Job Corps program, you receive $1,200.

Through all of the ups and downs I've experienced at Ouachita Job Corps Center; they helped me become a better person in life. Honestly, it was one of the best things that has happened to me. If it weren't for my estranged father telling me about this program, my future would be in shambles right now. Today, I no longer have contact with the people I attended Job Corps with. I thank my instructor and everyone else for believing and taking a chance on me. If you're considering attending a Job Corps center and want to further your education, as well as new skills, this program may be the right fit for you. It's not for everyone, but if you have the drive, dedication, and determination to make a difference in your life, go for it. Unfortunately, Ouachita Job Corps Center shut its doors in April 2016, due to low performance, attendance, and graduation rates. I'll always remember the good memories attending Job Corps and the knowledge I've gained during my time there. Today, I have a decent career in shipping and very satisfied in this role. I've been working at my current position for the last several years. Even though I had different jobs over the course of the past decade, my current role keeps me going.

If you have any other questions for me or any advice I can offer about Job Corps, please leave them in the comments. Meanwhile, if you loved this story, give it a like. Please subscribe to my page on here and follow me on my socials. Finally, please consider sending me a one-off tip, which is located at the end of this page. These will help creators like me continue publishing and writing stories to share with everyone.