3 days ago
Students left scrambling as Shreveport Job Corps is disbanded
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)—The U.S. Department of Labor is disbanding Job Corps Center operations nationwide, including the one in Shreveport, which has been serving youth for over 40 years.
The Shreveport Job Corps provided housing, basic medical care, meals, books and supplies, a living allowance, and a supportive community. The program's goal was to teach students a trade by teaching skills and providing apprenticeships.
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The Shreveport center served around three hundred students, some of whom had no home to go to. Those who had no home are being placed in shelters and group homes. Some of them were in the middle of training and did not complete their programs.
'Job Corps being closed has definitely disrupted my life, definitely made it a lot harder for me,' said student Rheannan Hall. 'I was planning to leave in July. I was out the door anyway, but then suddenly, I have no money, no home. I don't know what to do.'
The Caddo Parish Commission is concerned about the closure, pointing out the center has trained many Caddo workers.
'It has been a direct pipeline for the workforce here in Caddo Parish,' said District 7 Commissioner Stormy Gage Watts. 'We are very concerned about the placement of the students who have lost some temporary to permanent housing while they were here. My biggest concern is making sure that we can keep those kids off of the street and find them safe and habitable dwellings.'
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The Department of Labor cited the following reasons for ending the program as we know it.
Average Graduation Rate (WIOA Definition): 38.6%
Average Cost Per Student Per Year: $80,284.65
Average Total Cost Per Graduate (WIOA Definition): $155,600.74
Post separation, participants earn $16,695 annually on average.
The total number of Serious Incident Reports for program year 2023: 14,913 infractions.
Inappropriate Sexual Behavior and Sexual Assaults Reported: 372
Acts of Violence Reported: 1,764
Breaches of Safety or Security: 1,167
Reported Drug Use: 2,702
Total Hospital Visits: 1,808
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