Reps. Thanedar, Scholten, Tlaib, and McDonald-Rivet Call on Department of Labor to Reverse Job Corps Closures
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Hillary Scholten (MI-03), alongside U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), and Kristen McDonald-Rivet (MI-08), called on Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to immediately reverse the abrupt decision to pause operations at Job Corps centers nationwide.
On May 29, 2025, the Department of Labor announced a pause for Job Corps centers throughout the United States, impacting approximately 25,000 students across the country who rely on the centers to learn skills essential to securing meaningful employment. In Michigan alone, this decision disrupts the education and training of more than 700 students at Job Corps centers in Kent, Wayne, and Genesee Counties.
“The Department’s decision to initiate a ‘phased pause’ in operations was made without advance notice to the training centers, leaving staff and students scrambling. This abrupt disruption has destabilized our communities, which rely on these centers,” wrote the Members in the letter. “We understand and share the Department’s interest in improving cost-efficiency and long-term effectiveness. Indeed, there is much work to be done to enhance the services here. But an unplanned and abrupt pause in all operations does not support these goals. Instead, it derails the lives of thousands of young people and dedicated staff committed to strengthening our country’s workforce, at a time of great worker shortage across the state.”
The Members highlighted the lack of clear communication and planning from the Department of Labor and outlined urgent questions, including who will be responsible for overseeing student transitions to complete their training, when Job Centers will be notified of any programmatic changes after the pause, and how the Department plans to support state and local workforce partners. The letter also urges Secretary Chavez-DeRemer to work with Congress to ensure fiscal responsibility and protect this essential workforce development program.
A full copy of the letter can be found [HERE].
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