In our Spotlight on Business Report U.S senator Bob Menendez continues his legislative tour throughout the state with a stop in Edison today visiting the Edison Job Corps to tout new legislation that will boost apprenticeship opportunities by making more students aware of the programs available and the good paying jobs that go with it Raven Santana reports jerseyans can reach for that slice of the American dream I'm talking about good paying union jobs this afternoon Senator Bob Menendez emphasized to a crowd of students and staff at Edison Job Corps that college is no longer the only Pathway to success the senator who has championed Career Technical programs in the state announced new apprenticeship legislation that he says would provide greater opportunities for those in the Building Trades the legislation would expand access to apprenticeship programs by raising awareness about those programs among students the bill would direct the Department of Education to guide school counselors on offering students those alternative career opportunities because if we want to give young people an alternative from the street and the gangs and violence we have to give them something positive and we not only give them personally something positive but they make an enormous contribution to our society they're going to be gainfully employed they're going to pay taxes and they're going to build the schools of the future the homes of the future to the hospitals of the future all things that make a difference in people's lives what more positive thing can we do Job Corps is the way out Job Court it worked for me I came from a very poor family a single parent mom my mom could not afford College my mom leaned on me to you know be the head of the household she sent me to Job Corps I was able to get my high school diploma I was able to get a trade and Job Corps paid for my college degree so look at me now and staff I spoke with say they are most proud that the program is not a one-size-fits-all in fact this is an example of one of 14 Career Technical trade programs that this campus has to offer all free of charge the students come here they stay here for free they get well care I'm at Wellness Health Care for free they get three free meals every day they get a stipend we provide them with a shelter we provide them with education they can get a job while working here but they got to be up at six o'clock in the morning and try training day is from eight o'clock to about 3 30 on a day-to-day basis on weekends they can go home of the 120 different job corps sites across the country this campus has about 260 students each one achieving and reaching different goals lobotomy EKG tech you also get CPR certified some of the minor certifications are medical proofreading and medical terminology that helps you more with like the billing and coding sides of things my long-term goal will probably be to go to college I've actually been looking at Ramapo for their biochemistry as prerequisites for Seton Hall for my Master's in Pediatrics main reason what piqued my interest because I'm a very creative person so I like to build things I like to draw and stuff so it'd be interesting to me to like drive past one day tell my son or my daughter like I built that it's inspiring what I want to do is like when I finish this program in here I'm trying to go to events in Kentucky you know be a specialist on everything I want to work for Toyota dealership probably like two years and then after working two just got a little bit more experience and they opened my own shop networking and Partnerships have been key in the program's success especially when it comes to equity women in this industry and in the construction trades is is critical I think I think there's been a stigma where we feel like women are not meant to be in that using their hands and using their body and being in the elements but it's not the case we have found a solar landscape that the women that we've hired on the roof do incredibly well they're usually very hard working talented and they're able to you know work just as well as any male the director says each week they continue to enroll more students he says on average students are able to achieve their training and start their careers within a year of starting the program the senator says he's confident his bill will pass given the demand for labor in the state for NJ Spotlight news I'm Raven Santana [Music]