NH Job Corps to close June 30 when U.S. Labor Department pauses program

Yahoo

2 days ago

New Hampshire's Job Corps training program, serving more than 200 teenagers and young adults ages 16 to 24, will close June 30 after federal labor officials put a pause last week on the nationwide training and education program, which has come under fire for high costs, problems and poor results.
More than 40 students at the state's single campus, at 984 Dunbarton Road in Manchester may be without housing as early as Friday per the phased-in closings. State and local officials are scrambling to find continued employment, education and suitable residential accommodations for the participants who live in the dorms.
'We've been communicating and planning for multiple contingencies since Friday," Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais said Sunday. 'I fully expect community and local partners to step up as they have in the past.'
No arrangements have been finalized yet, he said, but 'the city is committed to ensuring' that those affected, including the staff of 100, have options for placement.
Ruais called Job Corps 'a significant economic generator for the city and state,' providing about $20 million annually. 'There is also a lot of workforce development' which enables the students and trainees to transition to positions with New Hampshire employers.
The U.S. Department of Labor's announcement came Thursday, affecting contractor-operated sites such as New Hampshire's without suspending operations at those run by the federal government. There are currently 125 centers across the U.S.
Manchester Ward 7 Alderman Ross Terrio texted Sunday, 'It is happening too fast. The people affected need more time to make arrangements for finding other work and housing. If there are problems I think they should have tried to fix them before ending the program.'
Opened nearly 10 years ago in October 2015, the Queen City's $35 million complex was designed to give young people a jumpstart in work. 'This program helps young people who are poor and unskilled find a trade that can make them self-sufficent,' Terrio wrote.
John Stephen, District 4 executive councilor, in a letter to commissioners at the state's departments of labor, employment security and business and economic affairs, said, 'This pause risks disrupting the progress of enrolled students and undermining the progress of workforce development efforts in New Hampshire.'
Stephen asked the commissioners to collaborate with U.S. labor officials to identify flexible federal funding sources that would allow the state to continue Job Corps programs that are effective.
'Comprehensive transition plans must be developed to ensure current students are seamlessly integrated into alternative training programs, educational opportunities, or employment pathways that support their long term success,' he wrote. 'I encourage you all to investigate innovative strategies to reduce costs and boost graduation rates, such as streamlining operations, enhancing mentorship programs, or partnering with local businesses to align training with workforce needs.'
He said New Hampshire's cost per student 'while below the national average of $80,284.65 "remains significant." New Hampshire's graduation rate of 42.1%,' while above the national average of 38.6%, 'highlights the need for improvement.'
The U.S. Labor Department's Transparency Report for Program Year 2023, released in April 2025, documented 14,913 serious incident reports at Job Corps Centers nationwide including 1,764 acts of violence, 2,702 reports of drug use, 1,808 hospital visits, 1,167 breaches of security, and 372 reports of sexual assault and inappropriate sexual behavior. It was not clear at press time how many of these may have occurred in New Hampshire.
'Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training and community,' U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in news release May 29. '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.'
According to the Labor Department: In 2024, the program operated at a $140 million deficit, requiring the Biden administration to pause center operations during that year. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in 2025.
'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 wrote on May 29.
A staff member at Job Corps in Manchester declined to provide further information when a reporter went to the Dunbarton Road site on Sunday.