At a time when Americans are seriously concerned with providing more opportunities for those who don’t attend college, why “pause” the help provided by Job Corps, a time-tested federal program providing training and services to youth who could most use the assistance?
It may seem nonsensical, particularly to those who have seen the Hawaii program’s positive results, but the feds have ordered the two Job Corps training centers here closed by June 30, along with others nationwide. That is a mistake — shortsighted and reckless, as Hawaii’s U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda accurately states — and must be pushed back on, in the courts and at the ballot box, because the value of these “wrap-around” services for Hawaii’s youth at risk far outweighs the costs.
Refuting criticisms of ineffectiveness, Hawaii’s Job Corps is ranked as one of the nation’s top performers. Hawaii’s academic and career technical training programs are currently ranked first in the nation; job placement services rank in the top five. Job Corps programs offer valuable support, including housing, education, job training and work experience for young adults ages 16 to 24 who are otherwise at risk of being left behind.
Nonetheless, this program can and should be improved — not by cutting off services to young adults who could otherwise fall into homelessness, unemployment and hopelessness, but by committing to fine-tune its models and improve outcomes.
For most of its history, Job Corps has been considered a success. It’s had longstanding bipartisan support in Congress, which fended off a 2018 attempt to defund it. Most participants have limited incomes, and many have faced additional life hurdles such as homelessness or foster care.
In Hawaii, a high proportion of participants “graduate” with a high school equivalency diploma and work experience; those who complete programs earn a stipend that eases the transition to new employment.
But periodic audits of the nationwide program have been mixed. There’s little evidence that Job Corps graduates earn significantly more than others from similar backgrounds; however, the program is more than a job training operation. Participants who are housed in dorms share meals and work together on projects; centers also serve young parents, providing child care for those who commute.
Given the commitment made by participants, they should be due better results: a path to jobs that pay a living wage, and a well-run, effective operation. There’s no disconnect between this expectation and support for Job Corps. Any operation that is dependent on public funds should expect — and welcome — scrutiny, and commit to continuous self-improvement as a condition of funding, just as participants themselves must. That meshes with most Americans’ belief that taxpayers’ dollars shouldn’t be wasted, and that government efforts must meet performance goals.
In this case, the U.S. Department of Labor is calling the Job Corps center shutdowns “a pause,” stating that 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.” For the good of communities, this commitment is due not only to current students, but to those likely to seek out Job Corps assistance in the future — if available.
As Hawaii’s people increasingly call for changes necessary to preserve the islands as a home for its kamaaina, Job Corps fills an essential role. With state partnership, if necessary, Hawaii must strive to continue Job Corps services, while ensuring that it offers measurably effective support, producing better lives for its young at-risk participants.
