(upbeat, energetic music)
The pace, the atmosphere,
the intensity, (chainsaw revving)
the visuals, it really hooked me.
I really, truly feel like fire is my calling.
Definitely enjoy it.
It's definitely my passion.
Tell that to everyone.
As they say,
"You're not gonna get rich doin' this job,
"but you're gonna get enriched."
It's definitely gonna do a lot for the soul,
lot for the spirit.
I think it's the greatest job in the world.
The most that the class and I have talked about
is it's the challenge of becoming a Wildland Firefighter,
bein' successful.
What we wanna teach young people is
there's an avenue for them to come and find their career.
We're very excited.
I have an Advanced Fire Trade here at Centennial Job Corps.
[Narrator] Near Boise, Idaho,
the Centennial Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center
has established, with the United States Forest Service,
the Advanced Wildland Firefighter Career
Technical Training Program.
When I started as the Assistant Director
for the Job Corps Program,
the agency was embarking on a new endeavor.
And the new endeavor dealt with three things,
which is to connect Job Corps students
to the Fire Program in the agency,
connect them to conservation,
as well as connect them to potential jobs.
February of 2017
was the beginning of our Advanced Fire Management Trade
here at Centennial Job Corps.
We've selected 20 students throughout the nation
from different Job Corps Centers to be part of this program.
We have a core curriculum
that has been pre-approved
by both the Department of Labor and the Forest Service.
From March to the following February,
they're gaining the field experience out on the line,
they're gaining the classroom experience.
They're basically building enough knowledge
to where they're marketable,
as like maybe a third or fourth season firefighter would be
if they did it on their own.
The 20 students that we have in the Advanced Fire Trade
will all get an opportunity to work on the engine,
and on the crew.
And so we'll go through a rotation
and then get everybody a chance to do both.
As a student, you're probably gonna come in as
somebody that has very little fire experience
and then will quickly realize
that the life skills of working with other people,
those are gonna be the very first things
that you're gonna have to
just really learn and understand.
And then, (trainees yelling)
well, I definitely have to put in physical training,
exercise and getting in great shape.
And then, of course, you'll get into the academics
and all the straight forward coursework that's involved.
Fourthly, (hose spraying) you'll get into the fire realm
of actually getting a tool in your hand.
- Right now, I'm loving the program.
I've been learning how to lay out hose packs, set 'em up,
workin' on pumps, chainsaws, diggin' line,
and we've been doing a bunch of classroom work.
When I came to the Job Corps,
I was a little kid.
I was a dropout of high school.
I give all of
my change to myself to Job Corps,
as well as the Fire Program.
'Cause having the experiences that I've had in fire
has made me a better man, as well as a better person.
I think what being on a fire crew brings to a person
is some structure, some discipline,
being able to learn how to work in a team environment,
and need to depend on other people.
And we always teach a core value of mentoring others.
[Narrator] To apply for this
Advanced Wildland Firefighter Trade Program,
students must have completed a trade
at any of the Job Corps centers across the nation.
- [Brian] The students are selected,
essentially through an application process
within the Job Corps Center across the country.
So people find out that there's the Center,
they're interested in fire.
There's an application period.
They turn in their applications, their resumes.
They show what time they've completed,
what trade they're comin' from,
and they're selected a traditional route.
- [Narrator] After completing
the Centennial Wildland Firefighter Training Program,
the student will be eligible to apply
for the Wildland Fire Apprenticeship Program.
- We want to help you get placed into a job,
as well as providing the avenue for success,
bigger than just a regular trade.
[Mike] We commit a hundred percent
into placement of our students into jobs,
and all that hard work goes into a resume.
- Probably the neatest element of this program
is we've gotten people that are really experienced,
know a lot of folks,
and we can really guide people in the directions
they need to head.
- It's a really fantastic opportunity.
It's a great way to jumpstart a career
and to get a foot into the world of firefighting,
and to make lots of connections.
If anyone wants to join Job Corps,
or join Advanced Trade, I say go for it.
See where your heart takes you.
Takes team,
and that's what we're here to offer, is that teamwork.
Workin' together, team unity, crew unity.
That's what firefighting dynamic.
That's what makes it a pretty cool trade.
I thank Job Corps for everything that I have been through,
every day.
I feel very grateful.
(upbeat, dynamic music)