Critics push back as the government goes after Job Corps

In another blow to federal programming, the Department of Labor has decided to temporarily shut down hundreds of Job Corps centers serving teens and young adults nationwide. An alternative route for teens in need of help, and in many cases, a home, the program has been a lifesaver for young people for decades. The decision to shut program centers down has drawn criticism from both sides of the political divide.

What is the Job Corps?

Job Corps is the "largest nationwide residential career training program" in the United States and has been in operation for over 50 years, the U.S. Department of Labor said. Since 1964, the program has trained and educated more than two million individuals, helping eligible young people aged 16 through 24 complete high school, prepare them for careers and assist them in gaining employment. Through the program, students are provided room and board, while they "learn skills in specific training areas for up to three years." Job Corps also provides transitional support, such as "help finding employment, housing, child care and transportation." Graduates either "enter the workforce or an apprenticeship, go on to higher education or join the military."

Why is it being shut down?

The Department of Labor announced it will begin a "phased pause in operations" at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide, which will be completed by June 30. The department promised to collaborate with state and local workforce partners to "assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities." The department's decision to shut down the Job Corps centers "aligns with the president's FY 2026 budget proposal" and reflects the "administration's commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers."

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Job Corps was created to "help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training and community," said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. However, a "startling number of serious incident reports" and an "in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve." The press release cited "significant financial challenges" as the reason for the shutdown, with an alleged $140 million deficit in 2024 and a projected deficit of $213 million for the 2025 program year.

Why is the shutdown drawing pushback?

One of the main concerns for critics of the shutdown is the risk of displacement for many students. Over 4,500 Job Corps students were homeless before joining the program and "potentially face a perilous future," said the Washington, D.C.-based National Job Corps Association in a news release. That number "amounts to 20% of current students but is as high as 50% at some campuses." The association published its "transparency report context" to counter the government's report, which it described as an "unsound analysis of the program based on incorrect and misleading information." This decision, "based on a deeply flawed report," will "needlessly endanger the futures and the lives of thousands and potentially millions more young Americans," said Donna Hay, the president and CEO of the National Job Corps Association.

The Department of Labor's decision has "already gotten pushback from both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill," said The Hill. The program has become "important pillars of support for some of our most disadvantaged young adults," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) in a statement. At an Appropriations hearing, she urged Secretary Chavez-DeRemer to "resume enrollment at Maine's two Job Corps centers and to reverse the department's proposed elimination of the Job Corps program."

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.), the top Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees annual Department of Labor funding, also said the decision was in the "wrong direction, exacerbating our state's workforce shortage, locking students out of good-paying jobs," while hurting the economy and "businesses who rely on skilled workers to compete and grow." Congress appropriated funding for Job Corps, and the Trump administration "can't just decide to not spend it because they want to make room for tax cuts for billionaires."