In October of 2022, I reported on the Cleveland Job Corp and my positive impressions of the program. As I observed then, not only does the program change the lives of young people, its physical presence on the site of the old Fisher Body Plant on Cleveland’s east side changed a brownfield into a thriving neighbor. The Job Corp created jobs for local residents and a new future for young people attending the program by helping them obtain their high school diploma and job training for meaningful careers in a variety of fields.
Operating since the 1960’s, the Job Corp is the nation’s largest residential career training program. Since its inception it has trained more than two million individuals.
Last week the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it will phase out operations of the Job Corp programs nationwide. Citing fiscal problems, the Labor Department records show that the program operated at a $140 million deficit in 2024 and has a projected deficit of $213 million for 2025…