PITTSBURGH — Last week, the Trump administration announced plans to close Job Corps, the nation’s largest education and job program for low-income youth. This decision would impact more than 400 students locally.
“We are already seeing lawsuits filed requesting an injunction to keep Job Corps open, but we cannot wait for the courts to resolve this. We need to act,” announced Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.
On Wednesday night, a New York district judge issued a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit filed by a trade group representing contractors that operate Job Corps centers.
The injunction ordered the government not to terminate Job Corps contractors or halt work at Job Corps centers until a further ruling is made in the case. The Judge also summoned the Labor Department to appear at a court hearing on June 17.
“Today, I will be signing an executive order to create a federal disruptive response team,” Innamorato said during Thursday morning’s joint press conference.
The county will provide assistance with housing and tuition while the decision to close the program is litigated in court. This represents a small victory for students like Lilith Stroup, who lives on campus and is enrolled in the Job Corps college program, studying to be a nurse.”
“It’s frustrating because many of the people making these decisions have not visited here, have not seen the place or experienced what it’s like,” Stroup said. “They don’t understand what it means to be homeless.”
Pittsburgh is one of 99 centers across the country that provide students ages 16 to 24 with free housing, medical care, education, training and certification assistance.
In Pittsburgh alone, more than 400 students are enrolled. If the center closes, 188 students will be displaced, over 50 face immediate homelessness and an estimated 180 jobs will be lost.
The federal government stated that the program was “no longer achieving the intended outcomes for students,” citing a graduation rate of only 39 percent and an average cost of more than $80,000 per student. However, data from the National Job Corps Association indicates that in Pittsburgh, the graduation rate is 50 percent, and the cost per student is $36,000.
Stroup is a testament to the program’s success, having already earned two trade certificates.
“This program has genuinely given me a second chance at life and a new start in education,” Stroup said. “Before I came here, I felt defeated, but now I have risen. I’ve grown as a person and gained more confidence.”
Now, the Armstrong native fears that if the program ends, so too will her dreams of becoming a nurse.
“Transportation is an issue,” Stroup said. “There are no buses that go to Leechburg, so job opportunities are very limited even with my training and experience.”
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