WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly 25,000 students at Job Corps centers around the country, including those at the Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Center in Prestonsburg, face an uncertain future, after the U.S. Department of Labor announced Thursday it is “pausing” operations at 99 contractor-operated centers, effectively eliminating the programs.
The announcement brought immediate change, with the Perkins center’s website now redirecting to a page of education, employment and military resources for former students.
The department says the decision is in line with President Donald Trump’s proposed budget. It comes following the release of the “Job Corps Transparency Report” last month, which raised questions about the effectiveness and safety of the centers.
That report found that the centers spend an average of $155,600.74 for each graduate, who then goes on to earn an average of less than $17,000 a year. The centers have an average graduation rate of 38 percent.
In Prestonsburg, the Transparency Report found the Perkins Center had a graduation rate of nearly 56 percent at a cost of $123,448 per graduate. Those graduates go on to make an average of $16,507 a year.
“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” said Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “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.”
The pause will take effect June 30. The Department of Labor says it will arrange and pay to transport all students back to their home of record by that date. The students will be provided with records of their achievements in Job Corps and registered with the American Job Center and Labor Exchange system that serve their home address.
Employees of the affected Job Corps centers are not federal employees, but the Department of Labor says it will provide them with information about employment services, apprenticeship programs, job fairs, unemployment compensation, armed services recruiters, and alternative education and employment training programs.
The Carl D. Perkins Job Corps is operated by Horizon Youth Services, which also manages centers in Greenville; Marion, Va.; and Milwaukee, Wis.
The pause does not affect 24 Job Corps Centers that are managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, such as the Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Coeburn, Va.
