PORTLAND, Ore. — Two U.S. Job Corps centers in the Portland metro area are set to close down, laying off a total of 89 staff, according to a pair of Oregon WARN notices filed Monday. The closures come about a week after the announcement of another impending facility closure in Astoria, which will include 168 layoffs.
Job Corps is a federal workforce training program and support program aimed at low-income and at-risk youth between the ages of 16 and 24. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced late last month that it would pause operations at all of the program’s contractor-run facilities by the end of June, citing an ongoing operating deficit and low graduation rates.
“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement on May 29. “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.”…