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Tighter finances may encourage Cascades Job Corps Center officials to look to community partnerships for academic support.

The rising cost in utilities has impacted the center the most as its budget, which is determined each year by Congress, has not received an increase in the past four years, center officials said.

Cascades Job Corps Center is experiencing the same type of financial struggles as other local schools, and businesses said Kathy Howell, Cascades Job Corps Center’s director. Congress is being asked to consider additional funding for fiscal year 2008 and 2009 budgets.

To help reduce costs, the center turned the heat off in its facilities about a month ago. Job Corps students also continue to rely on Skagit Transit to get around in the community, which picks students up at the center each day.

“It certainly forces people to be more creative and conscientious of the smallest things,” said Brian Hurst, the center’s business and community liaison.

So far, center officials have not had to reduce transportation and have maintained its academic programs, officials said.

Each job corps student receives the majority of his or her training at the center. They are also required to participate in a work-based learning program where they receive real-world work experience.

That part of the program is conducted with various community and business partnerships throughout Skagit County, Hurst said.

If the center continues to experience a financial crunch in the future, center officials may have to rely on extensive partnerships to provide the training, Howell said.

“With a zero percent increase in the budget for the current year and with everything else going up, it will start to impact our training,” she said.

Children’s Museum of Skagit County is one of many local community partners.

Children’s Museum Executive Director Cate Melcher said the partnership has been a good experience so far.

The students have come to the museum prepared, she said. Melcher said she is even considering hiring one of the students who is graduating from the job corps program as an employee.

“That speaks volumes for what the experience has been like,” Melcher said.

If it wasn’t for all the community partners, Cascades Job Corps Center couldn’t meet its goals, Howell said.

“We’re struggling a little bit with money,” Howell said. “But we’re still able to move forward with local support.”