WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME), Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) and fellow committee members Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in voicing their concerns over the sudden closure of all Job Corps Centers to the Department of Labor (DOL). In a letter to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the lawmakers urged her to reverse the decision and work with Congress to improve the program.

“Job Corps has served millions of young people, ages 16 to 24, many of whom face significant economic and social challenges, develop the skills and resilience they need to succeed in work and in life through intensive education, training, and support services in a residential setting since its creation in 1964,” the senators wrote. 

“Abruptly canceling contracts for the nation’s Job Corps centers will leave students and communities in the lurch and will undermine opportunities for young people to get education and training to succeed in valuable trades. While we would be pleased to work with you to improve the Job Corps program to do even more to serve our young people and address growing workforce needs, it is essential that you faithfully implement the program in accordance with the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution and reopen all Job Corps Centers,” they continued.

Job Corps is the largest residential career training program in the country, operating centers across all 50 states including a contractor-operated campus in Little Rock. Over 60,000 new students enroll in the program nationwide every year and each center supports an average of 228 jobs.

Full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Secretary Chavez-DeRemer: 

The sudden announcement that the Department of Labor began the process of closing all Job Corps Centers on May 29, 2025, will harm students and local economies in every state across the nation. We urge you to retract this announcement and to faithfully implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Resolution Act, which President Trump signed into law and which includes $1,760,155,000 for Job Corps. That includes funding to enroll students in Job Corps Centers for the new program year that starts July 1, 2025. We expect the Department to prevent any interruptions or delays in serving students or program options by making the necessary changes or extensions to contracts and quickly restarting background checks.

Job Corps has served millions of young people, ages 16 to 24, many of whom fact significant economic and social challenges, develop the skills and resilience they need to succeed in work and in life through intensive education, training, and support services in a residential setting since its creation in 1964. Today, many jobs require training beyond a high school diploma but not a college degree, including those of strategic national importance, such as electricians needed to build data centers to power artificial intelligence, machinists, pipefitters, and welders to manufacture the next generation of submarines and destroyers, wildland firefighters to keep our communities safe, and nurses to help care for our families. Job Corps is one of the few national programs that fills the gap by recruiting young people who are out of the labor force and providing them with the career and technical education to address these critical workforce needs. 

Job Corps Centers contribute to their local communities and economies. They have developed partnerships with employers, local workforce development boards, local government agencies, and community-based organizations. The sudden closure of Job Corps Centers not only puts young people’s lives at risk, but local communities will pay a steep price, especially the thousands of individuals who work at the Centers and will lose their livelihoods.

Abruptly canceling contracts for the nation’s Job Corps centers will leave students and communities in the lurch and will undermine opportunities for young people to get education and training to succeed in valuable trades. While we would be pleased to work with you to improve the Job Corps program to do even more to serve our young people and address growing workforce needs, it is essential that you faithfully implement the program in accordance with the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution and reopen all Job Corps Centers. 

Thank you for your attention to this request, and we request your prompt reply no later than June 24, 2025.