4 days ago
New York judge halts Job Corps closings; 100 Milwaukee staffers spared for now
After thinking they were going to get laid off, staff members at the Milwaukee Job Corps Center might still have jobs after all, even though the U.S. Department of Labor announced it was cancelling contractor-operated centers.
On June 4, U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter Jr. granted a temporary restraining order halting the Labor Department and Secretary Lori Chavez-Deremer from closing the facilities without congressional approval.
The Job Corps center in Milwaukee, 6665 N. 60th St., is operated by Horizons Youth Services based in Virginia; it has about 100 staffers that could be affected by any changes.
'We were pleased and excited with the court's decision to grant the Temporary Restraining Order and that the closure of Job Corps Centers has been stopped," Nolyn Fueller, president of Horizons, said in a statement. "The students that we serve deserve and need the opportunities that Job Corps provides. I hope that the facts and figures contained in the Transparency Report are further reviewed and more accurate statistics are shared regarding the success and safety of Job Corps campuses. Job Corps positively changes lives.'
On May 29, the Labor Department announced it was closing contractor-operated centers due to low graduation rates, high costs and safety issues.
'Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,' Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement at the time. '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.'
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, has been a strong supporter of the Jobs Corps program and sent a letter to Chavez-Deremer on June 3 urging that the decision be reversed.
After the court's June 4 ruling, Baldwin issued a statement: 'Gutting a program that is a proven way to connect Wisconsinites with careers and helps businesses and the trades get the skilled workers they need is a huge mistake. While students and employers are both left in the lurch about whether the training, housing, and support they were promised will continue, President Trump could stop this chaos if he just ended this crusade to make room in his budget for big corporate tax cuts, and instead prioritized Wisconsin working families and businesses.'
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reached out to the Labor Department but has not received any comment.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New York judge halts Job Corps closings affecting 100 Milwaukee staff
