June 1, 1967
Page 14440
MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAM
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, I invite the attention of the Senate to an article published in the April 20, 1967, issue of the Portland, Maine, Evening Express, which describes the education and training achieved by Raymond C. Gilliam, of Portland, Maine, while enrolled in a manpower development and training program.
It is most gratifying to me to find that the opportunities offered by MDTA have helped this young man broaden his horizons. I am confident that Raymond Gilliam's experience will be an incentive to other enrollees in the MDTA programs throughout Maine and the Nation.
I ask unanimous consent that the article be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
He JUMPED FROM JOB TO JOB; NOW HE'LL TRY FOR COLLEGE
A former school dropout has become the first student at Portland's Manpower Training Center to pass his high school equivalency test.
He also hopes to be the center's first student to go on to college.
"I'll take the college boards May 6, and with any luck I'll get into the University of Maine in Portland," said Raymond C. Gilliam, 19, of 149 Cumberland Ave.
Gilliam said the idea of getting ahead through education came to him only after drifting from one job to another.
Before entering the basic education program at the Manpower center at Oakdale School, Gilliam was making hot dogs for a local packing firm.
"I just couldn't see myself doing that for the rest of my life'" he added.
Gilliam dropped out of the general course at Brunswick High School at the end of his junior year mainly because his father was ill and he had to take over and haul lobster traps.
He said because he had been missing so much school, officials didn't make any particular effort to get him to stay.
He then served in the Navy for about four months, but was forced to leave submarine training school for medical reasons. Since then he has had a variety of jobs which has built up an interest in business administration.
Gilliam praised the Manpower Training Center's education program because of the small classes, the informal atmosphere, the tutoring help and ability grouping.
He said because teachers helped him with mathematics he was able to get a good score on the high school equivalency test. "Sixty-nine per cent of those who took the test got lower scores than I did," he added.
He said he is trying to build up his vocabulary to prepare for the college boards.
In addition to going on to college, Gilliam has one other desire – to get his 16-year-old sister to finish high school too. She has had no high school and is working in a supermarket.
"In my parents' time, a diploma wasn't so important, but it is now'" he added.