4 days ago
'I'm livid,' Detroit Job Corps sudden closure leaves students scrambling
The Brief
The Detroit Job Corps program has unexpectedly shut down.
The program trains young people for their future.
Many of those who live on the campus now have nowhere to go.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Detroit Job Corps program has unexpectedly shut down, and many are caught off guard by the decision.
The backstory
The program trains young people for their future, and now, many of them who live on the campus now have nowhere to go.
18-year-old Cameron is dazed as he comes to his sudden reality, as he now has no place to live. He lived at Detroit Job Corps on Detroit's west side, a career training facility for young people.
Dozens lugged garbage bags full of their belongings, some into their parents' trunks.
"The staff they had us go to the rack at about 1:30, and they broke the news to us and they had us go to the dorms and pack our stuff," said Carleton Davis.
16-year-old Carleton Davis lived here, and his mom, Tiffany, recently lost their house – and there's more.
"I didn't want him to be a statistic," said Tiffany Davis. "I wanted him to be focused on his education. I have breast cancer surgery next week, so now I'm debating having my surgery canceled so I can make sure my son is okay."
The other side
The staff on site would not speak to FOX 2, but sources say it was shut down after recent cuts at the Department of Labor, which oversees the program.
Community activist Pastor Mo has tried to help out after getting calls from frantic mothers. He's worried about the short and long-term solutions for these children.
"The ones who are trying to get it right, that's why I'm so pissed off. These aren't kids in a youth home that got caught in a crime; these are kids who are trying to avoid getting caught in a crime," he said.
