Latest news with #JobCorps
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Job Corps centers, including one in Central Texas, pausing operations
The Brief Job Corps centers will be pausing operations by the end of June One has operated in Central Texas for decades Dept. of Labor says the decision follows an internal review of the program HAYS COUNTY, Texas - The U.S. Department of Labor has announced it is pausing operations at Job Corps centers nationwide, including one that's operated in Central Texas for decades. What we know On May 29, the US Department of Labor announced it would be starting a "phased pause" in operations at 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide. The department says that the decision followed an "internal review of the program's outcome and structure and will be carried out in accordance with available funding, the statutory framework established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and congressional notification requirements." The pause is expected to happen by June 30. DOL says that it is collaborating with state and local workforce partners to help current students advance their training and connect them with education and employment opportunities. Center operations are now implementing transition plans to get students home and funding will then be used to pause operations, including managing facilities and maintaining student records. "The department's decision 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," says DOL. By the numbers DOL says that this program has faced "significant financial challenges" under its current operating structure and has been in a "financial crisis" for years. In PY 2024, the program operated at a $140 million deficit, requiring the Biden administration to implement a pause in center operations to complete the program year. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in PY 2025, says DOL. The recent Job Corps Transparency Report, which is based on an analysis of internal data from PY 2023, says that the highest graduation rate among all the centers was 65.4% and the average cost per student per year is just over $80,000 and the average cost per graduate is about $155,000. Dig deeper Job Corps is the largest free residential education and job training program for young adults aged 16-24. According to the DOL website, Job Corps has trained and educated over two million people since 1964. The program helps eligible young adults complete their high school education and career training, as well as obtain employment. Graduates go on to the workforce, apprenticeships, higher education or the military. Students can earn a high school diploma or equivalent, and college credits and get tuition-free housing, meals, basic healthcare, a living allowance, and career transition assistance. Job Corps also offers training in 10 high-growth industry sectors: Advanced Manufacturing Automotive and Machine Repair Construction Finance and Business Healthcare Homeland Security Hospitality Information Technology Renewable Resources and Energy Transportation There are 99 centers spread across six regions of the US, and four centers are based in Texas: David L. Carrasco (El Paso area), Laredo, Gary (Central Texas), and North Texas (Dallas area). Local perspective Gary, one of the four centers in Texas, has been in operation since 1965, says Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra. The campus sits near the San Marcos Regional Airport on SH 21 and is "long known as the largest of its kind in the country," says Becerra. The facility is operated by Equus Workforce Solutions, based out of Kentucky. The Source Information in this report comes from Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and the US Department of Labor.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NH Job Corps to close June 30 when U.S. Labor Department pauses program
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.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Road closures at East and Broadway in Chicopee due to fire
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Fire crews are working to put out a structure fire on Belcher Street Sunday morning, resulting in road closures in the area. Job Corps Center in Chicopee to close as part of federal cuts The Chicopee Police Department posted at approximately 5:45 a.m. on social media that crews are on Belcher Street putting out a structure fire. During this time, the intersection at East Street and Broadway has become gridlocked due to the efforts of fire crews. Police urge drivers in the area to seek alternate routes and use caution when navigating the area. 22News will provide updates as more information becomes available. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Career counselor at Little Rock Job Corps says federal pause on operations nationwide leaves students with nowhere to go
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – When hearing the news that Job Corps centers nationwide will no longer operate after June 30, career counselor Rickeisha Babbs first thought of the high-risk students currently enrolled in the career-training and educational programs. 'For a lot of them, that's tragedy. A lot of them have nowhere to go. A lot of them have nowhere to turn to,' Babbs said. Federal Proposal Made to Close Ouachita Job Corps She said around 75% of the 160 students enrolled in the program live at the center. 'Those are going to be youth that have an income that's below the federal poverty level. We see a lot of youth that did not succeed in traditional youth settings,' Babbs said. Because of the pause of operations set by the U.S. Department of Labor, Babbs says by June 5th students living at the center will have to be gone. And all operations paused will be paused by June 30th. This is the income needed to 'live comfortably' in Arkansas, report says Temporary or not, Babbs feels this experience will have a long-lasting effect. 'I think for a lot of them it feels like a repeat of what they've already experienced in their lives. And that's abandonment,' Babbs said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
With Grand Rapids center affected, Scholten criticizes Job Corps pause
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Job Corps Center in Grand Rapids — one of 120 nationwide — will stop operations within weeks after the U.S. Department of Labor announced it was implementing a phased pause of the program. that the decision aligns with President Donald Trump's budget proposal and 'reflects the Administration's commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.' The Job Corps offers free education and vocational training for low-income teens and young adults. The Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center on Hall Street SE near Division Avenue is expected to stop its work by June 30. U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, voiced her dissatisfaction on the pause in a statement released to News 8 Saturday. 'If there was ever any remaining doubt that this is not Ford's Republican party, Trump's decision to pause the Job Corps Center erases that,' she said. 'Republicans cannot begin to claim this is a move towards fiscal responsibility–they just passed a budget that raises the debt by over $4 trillion. The spending isn't to spur more economic activity, it's to line the pockets of the ultra-rich. Here in West Michigan, we believe that a good job is the key to a better future and opportunity–that's what we should be investing in, not welfare for the rich,' she said. Her office confirmed it has scheduled a meeting with Job Corps staff Monday. In Thursday's release, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRermer said that the program is not producing the the results it should be. 'Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,' Chavez-DeRemer stated. '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.' According to the department, the Job Corps program operated in 2024 at a $140 million deficit and that is estimated to reach $213 million in 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
