Labor secretary grilled over Job Corps pause
During a recent hearing before teh House Education and Workforce Committee, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer faced tough questioning regarding the decision to pause Job Corps centers across the United States. The Job Corps program, which offers free education and vocational training to low-income youth aged 16 to 24, had been under scrutiny since the Trump management attempted to shut it down. A federal judge intervened, putting the program on hold, leading to significant debate during the hearing.
Lawmakers across both parties expressed their concerns about the implications of halting the program, with Rep. Suzanne Bonamici famously stating that the SecretaryS actions turned her from a champion to a destroyer of a vital program. Rep. Summer Lee specifically criticized the pause as detrimental, highlighting the program’s ability to transform lives and provide pathways to employment.
Secretary Chavez-DeRemer defended her stance by citing financial sustainability issues and reported incidents of violence and misconduct within job Corps centers.Despite bipartisan support for the program historically, she emphasized a transition towards safer alternatives like registered apprenticeship programs, with a goal of significantly increasing the number of active apprentices nationwide.
This discussion has brought to light the community’s distress and the unintended consequences of possibly closing a resource that many young adults depend on for accomplished career development.
Labor secretary grilled over Job Corps pause
Lawmakers grilled Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer on the agency‘s controversial decision to pause Job Corps centers across the country during her appearance Thursday before the House Education and Workforce Committee.
The Trump administration had sought to shut down the program, which provides free education and vocational training for low-income people between the ages of 16 and 24 across the country. A federal judge, though, blocked the effort Wednesday night, putting it on pause. The controversy featured heavily in the hearing on Thursday.
“Madam secretary made a snarky, abrupt shift from a champion to a destroyer of this important program,” Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) said.
The Jobs Corps long enjoyed bipartisan support, and the Labor Department’s move to shut it down has proven controversial.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle grilled Chavez-DeRemer over the decision. Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), whose district includes a Job Corps center, called the pause damaging.
“Job Corps is transformational. It leads to a job and critical goals of healthcare and manufacturing,” Lee said. “I can’t understand why you decided to close the center.”
Lee also criticized Chavez-DeRemer’s responses during the questioning as “disrespectful” and wasting time.
Ninety-nine Job Corps centers nationwide have been ordered to halt operations by June 30, Bonamici said.
“The students are distraught and so are the local communities,” Bonamici said.
In response, Chavez-DeRemer said Job Corps centers are “financially unsustainable and oftentimes dangerous” with an “exorbitant per-graduate cost and an alarming number of serious incidents reported by participants.”
The Labor Department released a “Job Corps Transparency Report” on April 25, which said that that in 2023 alone, 14,000 serious incidents were reported at Job Corps centers, including cases of sexual assault, physical violence, and drug use.
Centers cost almost $20,000 more a year for a student to attend than it does for them to attend Harvard University, according to Chavez-DeRemer.
As part of the department’s long-term strategy, Chavez-DeRemer said the Job Corps centers will be phased out and replaced with safer alternatives, such as registered apprenticeship programs.
Rep. John Mannion (D-NY) said he supports the decision to expand the apprenticeship program. He added that he has seen “transformation in people’s lives” through an apprenticeship program in New York.
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The administration declared a goal of 1 million new active apprentices, a 50% increase over current levels.
“Our nation’s vulnerable young adults deserve better, and I am committed to connecting all participants with the resources they need to succeed as this transition takes place and we evaluate future possibilities,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
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