U.S. Department of Labor pauses operations at Job Corps centers
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'It's sad that they're closing all the Job Corps down,' Job Corps student Brian Wisemon told Channel 2's Audrey Washington.
Wisemon learned of the sudden closures just a few days ago.
'How can y'all promise something and then take it away?' asked Wisemon.
Job Corps is a residential career training and education program.
Wisemon heads the student government association at a Job Corps center.
He said he believes the pause will impact thousands of at-risk students.
'We're looking at youth that are caring and hoping for a second chance at life,' Wisemon explained.
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The Labor Department said in a statement it decided to pause Job Corps operations, mostly for financial reasons:
'The Job Corps program has been in a financial crisis for years, creating constant uncertainty for participants and administrators. The gap between funding and expenses has been publicly known, with operating costs steadily rising and the program's budget remaining flat over several fiscal years.'
On Monday, Washington spoke with former Job Corps contractor Kip Carr.
'It directly affects the working-class people,' said Carr.
'It was helping a lot of people get a job. You were doing work-based learning,' Wisemon added.
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On Monday, NewsDrone 2 flew over an empty lot in South Fulton along Roosevelt Highway and Washington Road.
Signs posted on the fence around the lot stated that the land would be the future site of a new Job Corps center.
Carr said that the plan now seems unlikely.
'There are students who are days away from getting the GEDs. I hope there are other organizations that they can transition to,' Carr said.
The U.S Department of Labor also cited the Job Corps' effectiveness and safety as reasons for the pause.
There are more than 100 federally funded Job Corps centers in the United States.
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