Latest news with #JobCorps
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Trump administration tries to pause Job Corps, New Mexico students are left in limbo
Jun. 7—River Brown, 23, has been floating around food service jobs since she was 15. Struggling to pay for the cost of living and facing homelessness, she joined the Albuquerque Job Corps in February. Three months into the welding trade, Brown is being uprooted with little to no warning. "I was lucky enough and I learned quickly enough that in the three months I was here, I was able to get some good certifications," she said. "If I can get a roof over my head for just long enough, and I can find a good job and apply to it and get a place — my next few years are looking up." The U.S. Department of Labor announced a "phased pause" in operations at all 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide on May 29, including two in New Mexico. Initiating a transition for thousands of students, staff and communities, the decision follows an internal review of the program's outcome. The shakeup is part of President Donald Trump's larger effort to cut back on federal government spending. Many programs targeted by his Department of Government Efficiency have supported diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, those aimed at the poor — such as Medicaid — and those that lose significant money. Job Corps, in many ways, checks all three of those boxes. Federal Judge Andrew Carter barred the implementation of Job Corps pauses by granting a temporary restraining order Wednesday. This includes action on any stop-work orders, termination and non-renewal notices, as well as working on any shutdown tasks, job terminations or student removals. A hearing is scheduled for June 17. "The Department of Labor is working closely with the Department of Justice to evaluate and comply with the temporary restraining order," a DOL spokesperson said. "We remain confident that our actions are consistent with the law." On Friday, New Mexico Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, both Democrats, joined 37 Senate colleagues in signing a letter opposing the cuts. "The Administration's decision to illegally and abruptly terminate Job Corps center operations has left 25,000 students and thousands of staff across 99 Job Corps centers in the lurch," a portion of the letter read. The Job Corps program has faced financial challenges under its current operating structure, according to the DOL's news release. It has a projected deficit of $213 million by program year 2025. A DOL analysis found financial performance and operational costs from program year 2023, the most recent available metrics, did not "align" with the Trump administration's fiscal year 2026 budget. Additionally, the findings show an average graduation rate of 38.6% and 14,913 infractions nationwide, including reports of inappropriate sexual behavior, acts of violence, breaches of safety or security, drug use and hospital visits. President Lyndon B. Johnson created Job Corps in 1964 to increase the employability of young adults by providing them with education, vocational training and useful work experience. Enrolled students also have access to housing for up to three years. The program has helped over two million people since its implementation. New Mexico houses Job Corps centers in Albuquerque and Roswell. Both centers enrolled a combined 461 students in the 2023 program year, according to the Job Corps Transparency Report. Costs per enrollee were $57,532.62 in Albuquerque and $56,389.29 in Roswell. Centers nationwide had until June 30 to pause operations, and students in Albuquerque were told to move out Friday. But the temporary restraining order now allows those individuals to stay on campus, while also leaving the door open for those who left. Zack Theuret, 21, has moved from house to house his whole life. He never felt bonded to anything until he joined the Job Corps' carpentry program. "Coming here, only three months in, it feels like a family, teachers included," Theuret said. "It's something to take for granted. Free food, free housing, growing with relationships and people." Jobs for America's Graduates New Mexico, or JAG-NM, is a nonprofit organization aiding schools and community centers working with students at risk of dropping out or those who have already — providing educational opportunities, employment searching and military enlistments. The organization launched an emergency support initiative Monday to aid displaced Job Corps students, assess their needs and provide immediate resources. As part of this, JAG-NM is calling on outside groups to help with housing, workforce, education, mental health, social services, transportation and legal assistance. Between the Albuquerque and Roswell locations, JAG-NM Executive Director Kaity Parent estimates 600 students and 170 staffers will be impacted. "We're doing two things: First, we're making sure that immediate needs are getting met, that's housing, food, transportation and medical care," Parent said. "The next thing we're doing is enrolling students who need to complete their GED or high school diploma, or they need help getting into jobs, higher ed or (the) military." Days after the initial pause, she couldn't sleep and was eating once a day. The restraining order came as a "breath of fresh air," allowing the group to take a step back and assess where help is needed most. "Some people really want to hear a doomsday story, when really, there is a lot of positivity here. The people who care are showing up, and we really want you all to know how much we care about you," Parent said, gesturing to a group of students. "We're not going to let you fall through the cracks." Sarita Nair, New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions secretary, said the state department is the state's administrative entity for the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, of which Job Corps is a part of. "Job Corps is a really vital piece of the entire landscape of workforce programs in New Mexico," Nair said. "They serve a very high needs demographic." DWS was not made aware of the pause until May 29, she said. The department began planning relief programs with JAG-NM soon after. In collaboration with JAG-NM and various other organizations, the DWS held resource events at New Mexico's Job Corps centers Wednesday, offering students employment opportunities, housing and access to other essential services. DWS will hold a hiring fair on June 10 to aid Roswell and Albuquerque Job Corps staffers. "We just wanted to give them some space after they take care of the kids to start thinking about their own careers," Nair said. If Job Corps pauses, Parent said displaced students could end up homeless. And without access to basic needs, students may do "whatever they can" to get it, possibly ending up in jail, she added. "We're talking about 16- to 24-year-olds who already had barriers in their life. They've probably already been abandoned in their life. They've probably been kicked out of their homes. They've probably been kicked out of schools," Parent said. "This is just one more time they're being kicked out, and they didn't do anything wrong."
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
OUR VIEW: Slashing Job Corps is a betrayal of southeast Iowa
The U.S. Department of Labor's decision to 'pause' all contractor-run Job Corps centers, effectively shutting them down, is a devastating blow to the Ottumwa community. It's also a glaring example of federal leadership abandoning successful, long-term investment for short-term optics. Let's be clear: no program is perfect. The desire to eliminate inefficiencies and reduce deficits resonates across party lines for good reason. When done right, efforts to ensure government programs deliver maximum impact should be applauded. But that's not what is happening here. This is a program with documented successes being discarded to save fractions of a penny in the grand scheme of the federal budget. Whatever savings result will pale in comparison to the long-term societal costs of ending it. In Ottumwa, Job Corps was not a liability. It was a model of success. Serving 33 counties in the region, the center consistently ranked among the top nationwide for job placement. It maintained strong partnerships with local employers and Indian Hills Community College. It trained young adults in fields such as health care and information technology. This program provided real life-changing opportunities to some of our most at-risk children and young adults. The federal government claims the program's costs are too high, citing an average of $80,000 per student annually. But the cost of doing nothing is far greater. That $80,000 is a worthwhile investment when it helps lift young people out of poverty by providing structure, direction and opportunity. Programs like Job Corps are an investment. What message do we send when we abandon programs that offer young adults the tools to succeed, not through handouts but through hard work and hands-on training? What good does creating jobs do if we won't invest in preparing people to fill them? Cutting off the opportunity Job Corps provides, especially in rural areas like southeast Iowa, isn't just poor policy. It's a moral failure. The 195 students still enrolled at the Ottumwa center have been given mere days to leave. More than 100 staff members will lose their jobs at the end of the month. And for what? A vague promise of reevaluation and a faint hope that someone, somewhere, might come up with an alternative. The government's announcement offered no tangible details. We hope this is not the end. We urge readers to raise their voices and contact their elected officials to demand this program be reinstated. In the meantime, we offer our deepest thanks to the staff who dedicated themselves to bettering young lives in our region. While today's administration may not see the value in that work, we have seen it first hand — and we know this community is better because of it.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Escobar: GOP budget bill would cut health care, give breaks to rich
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Republican budget bill — often called the 'big, beautiful bill' by supporters of President Donald Trump — would cut health care, nutrition programs and explode the national debt, said U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas. The bill, which has passed the U.S. House and is being discussed by the Senate, would also give 'massive tax breaks' to the 'millionaire and billionaire class,' Escobar said. That was one of the messages that Escobar delivered during a town-hall meeting Saturday, June 7 at Horizon High School in Horizon City. Escobar said that the town-hall meeting was an opportunity to listen to consituents, talk to them and answer their questions. She said the Republican budget bill is the big topic of converstation and concern. 'It passed out of the House a couple of weeks ago. The Senate is working on it now,' said Escobar, who voted against the bill when it came up before the U.S. House in late May. 'It will result in cuts to health care benefits, cuts to nutrition programs. It will explode the national debt, all of this in order to give the millionaire and billionaire class massive tax breaks,' Escobar said. 'It is important for people to understand what is in the bill,' Escobar continued. 'We still have an opportunity to stop it and kill it on the Senate side and come up with a bipartisan product that reflects our nation's values.' The Trump Administration's plans to 'pause' the Job Corps program, including a center here in El Paso, is 'devastating news,' she added. 'The reason they gave for the pause in the program were financial issues that happened with the program during the pandemic,' Escobar said. She added that she wasn't sure why the Trump Administration was targeting the program. A lawsuit has been filed against the 'pause' and the move is likely to be found illegal by the courts, she added. Michael Aboud, the chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party, called Escobar a 'tax-and-spend Democrat.' 'I don't understand why she would want El Pasoans or anyone to pay more taxes,' Aboud said. 'Our taxes are already way too high. She is upset because President Trump is cutting waste and is going to reduce our taxes. 'I don't see how you can be against that. I think it is nonsensical, unless you are greedy and just want to spend the people's money,' he added. Escobar has represented Texas' 16th Congressional District since 2019. She announced in April that she will be seeking another two-year term. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama leaders call to preserve job training program amid Trump administration scrutiny
Moves in Washington D.C. could cost the Montgomery region 90 jobs and a yearly economic benefit of about $144 million, not to mention streams of newly trained workers, Mayor Steven Reed says. Reed joined U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Montgomery, at the Montgomery Job Corps campus Saturday morning to call for safeguarding the national training program. There is also a Job Corps campus in Gadsden. The Trump administration has called for the pausing of Job Corps programs at all 99 locations in the country by June 30. A Labor Department report cites low graduation rates and safety concerns on the campuses as reason for the pause. A federal judge has issued a stay in the administration's move. "We want to see a full reinstatement of the program, with full funding," Reed said, urging the public to contact their representatives in Congress and U.S. Senators to protest the plans to pause the efforts. Job Corps programs serve young people 18 to 24 with job training. While taking part in the program, participants are offered housing and meals on campus. More: Prattville approves $15M bond to fund city construction projects The Montgomery campus employs about 90 people, and has an yearly economic inpact of about $144 million, Reed said. Figures said continuing the training makes sense. "These are not a partisan issues, as the mayor has indicated," Figures said. "These are not things that fall along political lines. These are things that matter to real people. Creating jobs and maintaining a strong workforce is a bipartisan, shared, American ideal." The Job Corps program has real impact on the Montgomery region and the state, Reed said. '"It offers a second chance for our youth, a pipeline for our local industry and a key driver for our economy," he said. Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney atmroney@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama leaders call to preserve federal job training program
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Clearfield Job Corps program resumes normal operations, at least for now, after judge's ruling
After a week of tumult, students in the Clearfield Job Corps program have returned to their normal routines, at least for now. 'Because of the temporary restraining order, Job Corps centers are back to normal operations,' Emily Lawhead, director of communications for Management and Training Corp., said Friday. The private contractor runs the Clearfield program and others around the country. Some students started questioning their future after the U.S. Department of Labor announced on May 29 that it would close 99 contractor-operated Job Corps locations around the country, including the Clearfield site. Job Corps, a federal program, provides vocational training to teens and young adults who come from low-income backgrounds, some of them battling homelessness. But the National Job Corps Association, representing private Job Corps program operators like Management and Training Corp., sued in federal court to halt the action, leading to a restraining order on Wednesday to temporarily halt implementation of the Department of Labor plans. In the days after the May 29 Department of Labor announcement, the numbers of students at the Clearfield program had dipped from 741 to 726, but Management and Training Corp. officials are trying to counter that. 'Staff are working to contact students who have left already and inviting them to come back,' Lawhead said. Nevertheless, the federal judge's decision to grant the temporary restraining order is hardly the final word. A full hearing on the issue is set for June 17. The National Job Corps Association filed the suit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Students from the Clearfield program had expressed alarm and dismay after the initial Department of Labor announcement, which had called for all contractor-operated Job Corps programs to stop operating by June 30. Students were initially to have vacated the Clearfield site by June 13. 'Job Corps is one of the most impactful and long-standing workforce development initiatives in our nation's history. Over the past 60 years, it has provided millions of young Americans with education, career training and the support they need to become self-sufficient, taxpaying members of society,' Management and Training Corp. said in a statement. In announcing moves to halt Job Corps, the U.S. Department of Labor said the program wasn't yielding sufficient results. It said the average student graduation rate in the program was 38.6% and that the average cost per student per year was $80,285. The Management and Training Corp. statement, by contrast, offered a different take. The cost per enrollee is comparable to community colleges when factoring the Job Corps' 'wraparound services.' Graduation rates, meantime, exceed the national average for two-year colleges, it said. 'In fact, for more than six decades, Job Corps has saved taxpayers millions by reducing dependence on public assistance and helping young people enter high-demand, high-wage careers,' reads the statement.
