Citing low return on investment, the U.S. Department of Labor is phasing out Job Corps program nationwide including Tucson’s Fred G. Acosta Job Center which has operated locally since 1979.
Job Corps was established as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as a free residential education and job training program for low-income youth between the ages of 16 and 24.
Federal officials notified Tucson’s Fred G. Acosta Job Corps to send all resident students off campus by June 6 and to no longer allow non-resident students onto the campus.
Notified late last week, the Tucson center was told to send all resident students off campus by June 6 and not to allow non-resident students onto the campus at 901 S. Campbell Ave.
“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,†Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer . “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.
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“We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program’s possibilities.â€
DeRemer said a performance report from 2023 showed:
Average graduation rates of 38.6 percent
Average annual cost per student of $80,284.65
Post separation annual wages of $16,695
The report also noted “serious incidents†including sexual assaults and other violence on campuses and reports of drug use.
The National Job Corps Association responded to what they called
Graduation rates have been above 60 percent historically, the average cost per student is less than $50,000 and students were placed in jobs with an average wage of more than $31,000.
Regarding the reports of “serious incidents,†the association said the report included events such as power outages, inclement weather, athletic injuries that required treatment and adult students leaving campus under the same category.
No one at the Tucson campus was immediately available to comment.
One of the local programs was the , where students were taught electrical, carpentry, plumbing, landscape and HVAC skills.
The program was a student chapter of the .
“The construction industry is already plagued with a lack of skilled workers,†David Godlewski, SAHBA president said. “The closure of the Fred G. Acosta Job Corps will only exacerbate the problem and place a tremendous strain on young people looking to improve their lives.â€
Aside from construction, Job Corps trained students in fields such as manufacturing, automotive, healthcare and transportation.
Jobs Corps Centers are located in all 50 states and some federal lawmakers have said they are planning to fight the closures.
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One of the local programs was the Home Builder Institute, where students were taught electrical, carpentry, plumbing, landscape and HVAC skills.
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