The future of Gary Job Corps hangs in the balance

By Anthony Collins, 

LPR Editor                                           

     It’s been an emotional week for staff and students at the Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos, Texas, as uncertainty looms over the future of the historic campus. News of a “phased pause” of 99 Job Corps campuses across the nation, announced by the U.S. Department of Labor, has hit particularly hard at Gary, the largest center of its kind in the country.

     For the nearly 1,400 students enrolled at the 60-year-old facility just outside of Austin, the announcement sparked panic and confusion. Many scrambled to find housing and alternative career options amid fears they would be forced to leave as soon as this week. The phased shutdown is scheduled to take effect by June 30, leaving little time for students to adjust.

     Job Corps Centers, created under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, are federally funded programs offering free housing, job training, and career services to low-income youth aged 16 to 24. These centers have served as crucial lifelines for at-risk young adults looking to gain education and secure employment.

     The decision to suspend operations followed an internal Department of Labor review, which pointed to a nationwide graduation rate of less than 40%. The report also referenced numerous “serious incident reports” that raised concerns about the safety and oversight of the program.

     “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 in a statement. “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.”

     But the abrupt nature of the announcement left many questioning whether enough was being done to support the young people currently depending on these programs. That sentiment seemed to resonate with a federal judge, who on June 4 issued a temporary restraining order halting the closure of Job Corps centers across the country.

     For now, students and staff at Gary Job Corps remain in limbo, hopeful that the program which has offered so many a second chance will be given one of its own.