Kevin Leal took a chance on Tongue Point Job Corps Center to learn painting. Then Christy Mather took a chance on Leal, hiring him to help her prepare two early 20th century homes for painting. Leal is one of hundreds of Tongue Point Job Corps students who work with employers either on the North Coast or near their own hometowns each year in work-based learning opportunities.

Tongue Point gathered its employee partners Friday at its campus bistro, giving them a hand for the ones they’ve given Job Corps students. Representatives from Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici’s office attended, sharing their boss’ support for anything Job Corps.

The employers arrayed around the tables Friday ran the gamut, from breweries and restaurants to hospitals and foster care homes. Large employers like Clatsop County down to small businesses, like Mather’s, took on interns. Tongue Point has 45 students in work-based learning on the North Coast. Its students average about 340 work-based learning assignments a year.

“It was a win-win, honestly,” said Mather, who operates a historical restoration contracting business with only her mother for help.

Mather, who pays her regular employees and interns above minimum wage, said additional insurance costs make it prohibitive to hire employees. But starting this summer, Job Corps provided her business with an affordable source of at least semiskilled, mostly enthusiastic and hardworking employees, she said, with their workman’s compensation requirements covered by the federal government.

“I’ve probably cycled through 20 students this summer,” said Mather, who has used them for painting, carpentry and office work.

From July to August, Leal helped her prepare homes for painting. Mather, who sometimes refers to some of her Tongue Point students as her children, also helped Leal get over a phobia that might have stunted his career.

“I got rid of my fear of heights,” said Leal, adding that he’s still up in the air about whether to focus on residential or industrial painting, which requires working on tall structures. He hopes to finish at Tongue Point within the next year.

Mather said the homeowners she worked with were hesitant at first about the arrangement, like her, but warmed to the Job Corps students.

“And you have the opportunity to cancel the internship at any time,” said Mather, adding that she plans on taking interns every year Tongue Point offers them.

Another intern whose work experience fit perfectly into his career aspirations was Tam Nguyen, 23, a facilities maintenance and electrician student at Job Corps who interned for eight weeks at Clatsop County Building Maintenance.

“Tam hit the ground running,” said John Kerns, manager of the department, which has been taking two to three interns a year for eight weeks each since 2000. Nguyen helped with electric, plumbing, carpentry and other issues around the county’s properties.

After finishing his electrical trade, Nguyen said he wants to train to be an inside wireman at Tongue Point.

Kerns said it was invaluable having a student like Nguyen, who could be left with a project. “These are probably the cream of the crop.”

Tongue Point aims to have 10 percent of its student population in work-based learning assignments at any given time. Job Corps teachers identify those who are ready and Job Corps’ employee Katrina Morrell-Gasser helps find willing employers.

“We had a great network I came into,” said Gasser, describing about 60 employers offering work-based opportunities to Job Corps students. Students fill out weekly time cards, on which employers also get a chance to evaluate the student and report back to Tongue Point.

Instructors often try to find students work opportunities that will translate into a job after they prove themselves, said Gasser. “About 50 percent are offered jobs.”

Some construction trades at Tongue Point are harder to find employers for, she added, so Tongue Point has them complete build-outs on campus and for government agencies, such as the concrete pad for the U.S. Coast Guard’s recently retired HU-25 Falcon jet at the Astoria Regional Airport.

Other majors, such as culinary arts, are easy to find internships for, with tens of options in town to choose from. Some of the students cooking meals for the employers Friday are working at locally renowned restaurants like the Bridgewater Bistro and Baked Alaska.

“Work-based learning helps these kids advance,” said Chef Harley Badger, head of the program. “They come back to me, and they’re ready to do that commercial cooking.”

As the students get ready to exit Tongue Point, said Gasser, it has three career transition specialists they work with them on how to market themselves.