Connecticut Job Corps centers to pause operations in June
CONNECTICUT (WTNH) — The New Haven and Hartford Job Corps centers will pause operations next month in a country-wide move by the U.S. Department of Labor, department officials said.
The pause is effective June 30.
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On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a phased pausing at the 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers across the country, with a full pause by the end of June.
They said the move comes after an internal review of the program's 'outcome and structure.'
'Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,' Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement.
'However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve. We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program's possibilities,' Chavez-DeRemer continued.
Officials said the total number of serious incident reports across the country in 2023 was 14,913. Of those infractions, over 300 were for inappropriate sexual behavior or sexual assaults, over 1,000 for acts of violence and over 2,000 reports of drug use.
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In 2024, the program operated at a $140 million deficit and in 2025, the deficit is projected to reach $213 million.
Department of Labor officials said both Connecticut centers are performing with less-than-ideal graduation rates. New Haven is at 43 percent and Hartford is at 30 percent. The national average is 38.6%.
They said anything under 60 percent is considered low-performing.
Meanwhile, the cost per graduate at the Hartford center is $267,000 and in New Haven, it's $149,000 per graduate.
For the program as a whole, the average cost per graduate is $155,600 and the average cost per student per year is $80,284.
Officials noted a 'graduate' can be someone kicked out of the program.
More information on the department's Employment and Training Administration's first-ever Job Corps Transparency Report can be found on their website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Acosta Alaska Alaska Hawaii Hawaii Maui Montana Kicking Horse Anaconda Trapper Creek Wyoming Wind River Colorado Collbran New Mexico Albuquerque Roswell North Dakota Quentin N Burdick South Dakota Boxelder Nebraska Pine Ridge Kansas Flint Hills Oklahoma Tulsa Talking Leaves Guthrie Texas North Texas Gary Laredo David L. Carrasco Minnesota Hubert H Humphrey Iowa Denison Ottumwa Missouri Excelsior Springs St. Louis Mingo Arkansas Little Rock Cass Louisiana Shreveport Carville New Orleans Wisconsin Blackwell Milwaukee Illinois Paul Simon Chicago Jollet Tennessee Dr. Benjamin L Hooks Jacobs Creek Mississippi Mississippi Finch Henry Gulfport Michigan Flint/Genesee Detroit Indiana IndyPendance Atterbury Kentucky Whitney M Young Muhlenburg Great Onyn Pine Knot Frenchburg Carl D Perkins Alabama Gadsden Montgomery Ohio Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati West Virginia Harpers Ferry Charleston Maine Penobscot Loring Vermont Northlands New Hampshire New Hampshire Rhode Island Exeter Massachusetts Shriver Grafton Connecticut Hartford New Haven New York Glenmont Oneonta Westover Irequois Delaware Valley South Bronx Brooklyn New Jersey Edison Pennsylvania Red Rock Keystone Philadelphia Pittsburgh Maryland Woodland Woodstock Delaware Wilmington Virginia Old Dominion Blue Ridge Flatwoods North Carolina Kittrell Oconaluftee Schenck Lyndon B Johnson South Carolina Bamberg Georgia Atlanta Brunswick Turner Alabama Gadsden Montgomery Florida Jacksonville Pinellas Valley Miami Why Is Job Corps Shutting Down? 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