Last month, the Trump Administration announced it would begin a phased shutdown of Job Corps operations nationwide, citing a low success rate and incidents of violence within the centers.
Job Corps programs serve young, low-income people aged 18 to 24 with job training. While taking part in the program, participants are offered housing, meals, basic medical care and a living allowance on campus.
On Wednesday, a U.S. judge issued a temporary restraining order in a lawsuit fighting the closure. This order prevents the government from stopping Job Corps programs until a further ruling in the case.
On Thursday, U.S. Reps. Terri Sewell, AL-07, and Shomari Figures, AL-02, joined 197 of their colleagues in a bipartisan letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer urging her to continue the Job Corps program.
Two Montgomery leaders, Figures and Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed, held a press conference on Saturday to discuss the importance of Montgomery’s Job Corps center and the lasting impact it’s had on the region. Alabama’s second Job Corps campus, located in Gadsden, is also slated to close its doors.
“The court’s temporary restraining order has paused this closure. But only temporarily. What we need is permanent action. Full reinstatement, full support, full finding.
“These aren’t theoretical careers. They’re real jobs and in high demand right now. This center equips students not just with the skills needed to fill these jobs but with purpose, discipline, and direction. When we talk about workforce development, we’re not just talking about slogans or buzzwords, we’re talking about electricians who can wire a new home, CNAs who care for our seniors, technicians who keep our supply chains moving,” said Reed.
He urged the public to contact their representatives in Congress and U.S. Senators to protest the plans to pause the efforts.
“To our community, let’s raise our voices at the federal level with our congressmen and our senators alike, letting them know how important the Montgomery Job Corps Center is, not just to the city, but to the region and to the state itself,” said Reed.
The Montgomery campus employs about 90 people, and every federal dollar put into the program yields nearly double. Reed said there’s a yearly economic impact of about $144 million in Montgomery.
Figures said continuing to fund the center makes sense, regardless of political affiliation.
“These are not partisan issues, as the mayor has indicated,” Figures said. “These are not things that fall along political lines. These are things that matter to real people. Creating jobs and maintaining a strong workforce is a bipartisan, shared American ideal.”
