LYNCHBURG — Virginia’s two Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released a joint statement Friday blasting the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision to shut down contractor-run Job Corps centers across the country, including the Old Dominion Job Corps in Amherst County.
The decision will “abruptly eliminate crucial job training for thousands of young Americans and cut nearly 13,000 jobs across the program’s 99 centers,” the senators’ news release condemning the measure said.
Old Dominion Job Corps in Monroe and Blue Ridge Jobs Corps Center in Marion combined serve 163 students, many homeless or aging out of foster care, according to the release. Job Corps students ages 16 to 24 receive education, vocational training, and job placement assistance through the program, and more than 80% of program graduates are employed within six months, which in turn leads to as much as a 20% reduction in unemployment in areas with a Job Corps center, the release said.
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“For decades, the Job Corps program has transformed lives in Virginia and across the country by helping to equip young people with the skills and resources they need to succeed,” Warner said. “It’s deeply frustrating, and incredibly short-sighted, to see the Trump administration pause operations. We should be investing more in opportunities that lift up our young people, strengthen our workforce, and have a tremendous economic impact in the Commonwealth.”
Kaine in the release described Job Corps as a lifeline for thousands of young people in need, including those facing dire socioeconomic circumstances.
“For decades, the program has given them direction, taught them hard skills, and set them up for success,” Kaine said. “Of course, fiscal and safety concerns with the program need to be addressed. But instead of working to further invest in the program, the Labor Department has made the shameful choice to give up on thousands of vulnerable young Americans, including 163 in Virginia.”
A news release from the U.S. Department of Labor said it will begin a “phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide, initiating an orderly transition for students, staff, and local communities.”
“The decision follows an internal review of the program’s outcome and structure and will be carried out in accordance with available funding, the statutory framework established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and congressional notification requirements,” The department’s release said. “The pause of operations at all contractor-operated Job Corps centers will occur by June 30, 2025. As the transition begins, the department is collaborating with state and local workforce partners to assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities.”
Warner and Kaine’s release said the senators have “vigorously” opposed President Donald Trump and his administration’s efforts to “roll back crucial federal programs” and the Trump Administration’s “illegal order to stop all federal grants and loans, which the Administration subsequently rescinded amid massive public pressure.”
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The department said in its release its decision aligns with President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, referred to by many as the “big beautiful bill,” and reflects the administration’s commitment to ensure that federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for students and taxpayers.
“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in the release. “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. 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.”
The Job Corps program has faced significant financial challenges under its current operating structure and recently the program has operated at a $140 million deficit, requiring former President Joe Biden and his administration to implement a pause in center operations to complete the 2024 program year (PY), according to the labor department’s release. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in PY 2025, the release said.
On April 25, 2025, the department’s Employment and Training Administration released the first-ever Job Corps Transparency Report, which analyzed the financial performance and operational costs of the most recently available metrics of program year 2023, the release said. A summary of the overall findings found the graduation rate is 38.6%, average cost per student is $80,284, average total cost per graduate is $155,600; “post separation,” participants earn $16,695 annually on overage and the total number of serious incident reports for program year were 14,913 infractions, the release states.
Those incidents include inappropriate sexual behavior and sexual assaults, acts of violence, breaches of safety or security, drug use and hospital visits, the release says.
Attempts to reach Old Dominion Job Corps officials for comment were not successful by press time.
Amherst County Administrator Jeremy Bryant said in an email to The News & Advance the county is disappointed to learn about the Old Dominion Job Corps’ closure.
Claudia Tucker, chair of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors, said in an email to The News & Advance the closure caught her by surprise and she referenced the program’s financial deficit issues. She said its concept is “sound” but she needs to research the money aspect and measurable data.
“I admired the fact that in many cases they took people from very dangerous environments, moved them here for a new start and job training,” Tucker said. “As in any situation like this, I feel for the employees and it is my hope that there’s a plan in place for the students to continue their education and training.”
The Old Dominion campus of more than 300 acres on Father Judge Road on Aug. 240, 2024, celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Job Corps program. The Monroe campus, which boasts scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is located on a site that prior to Job Corps settling there in 1978 was the Father Judge Mission Seminary.
The campus had 75 students and was constructing a handful of dormitories to serve more students, ODJC officials said at the time of the August 2024 event.