06.24.19

Committee Postpones Hearing on Administration’s Proposed Closures and Privatization of the Civilian Conservation Centers in the Job Corps Program, Seeks More Information from Key Officials

WASHINGTON – Today, the Committee on Education and Labor announced it was postponing a scheduled hearing to examine the Trump administration’s proposed changes to the Job Corps program. The decision was made following the administration’s announcement that it would no longer move forward with a plan to close or transfer 25 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers, and after administration officials made additional assurances to the Committee that there would be no coming changes to the USDA and DOL Job Corps agreement. 

“The administration’s plan to close or transfer more than two dozen Job Corps centers could have forced 1,100 layoffs and stranded more than 3,000 students in rural communities across the country. I am relieved that the administration is scrapping this plan, but it is important for us to understand the reasoning and process behind the proposal,” said Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03). 

Chairman Scott sent letters today to the Government Accountability Office seeking more information on the process and reasoning behind the administration’s plans, which caused confusion and panic across Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers, and to the Department of Labor regarding the Department’s management of the Job Corps program.

“The administration should have fully considered the consequences of this plan before it was announced, including its impact on the students and Job Corps employees who thought they were losing their places of education and employment” said Chairman Scott. “I look forward to working with the administration to ensure that misguided decisions like these are not made in the future.”

A copy of the letter to the Government Accountability Office is available here.

A copy of the letter to the Department of Labor is available here.

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