June 16, 2025
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Trump:
On behalf of the undersigned organizations representing local businesses, national employers, and labor organizations across the skilled trades, we ask that you reverse the Department of Labor’s (DOL) decision to discontinue the Job Corps program. As you know, the Department of Labor is seeking to close 99 Job Corps centers across the nation and pause operations by June 30th. This action would affect communities in almost every state, with the majority located in counties that voted for you. This program is vital to the American economy and rural communities nationwide.
You have vocally expressed your support for trade schools and the skilled workers they produce. Job Corps is the nation’s only trade school that is turning homeless youth into welders and shipbuilders. Our nation’s investment in Job Corps not only expands our skilled workforce, it ensures these young Americans are less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system or rely on public assistance.
We strongly support your policy goal of reaching 1 million new active apprentices annually. Job Corps offers more than 300 pre-apprenticeship programs by partnering with national training organizations, including labor unions. These training organizations are proud to prepare the future workers of America and help meet the workforce needs of local economies.
The Job Corps program provides a successful non-college pathway to good-paying, high-skilled careers for young Americans and is directly helping meet the needs of manufacturers and our nation’s shipbuilders. We share your commitment to making sure skilled workers can thrive in a strong economy and with good-paying jobs, and ask that you let this vital program continue.
Thank you for your consideration of this important request.
Sincerely,
Addison County Economic Development Corporation
African American Chamber of Commerce in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
AFT
AGC Puerto Rico Chapter Workforce Development Foundation
Albany Area Chamber of Commerce
Albany Black Chamber of Commerce
Amazin Glass Co. of Albany
Astoria Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce
Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce
Burlington Chamber of Commerce
Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire
Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth
ChildCare Careers
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Costa Mar Construction
Counseling Service of Addison County of Addison County (CSAC)
Etowah Chamber of Commerce
Excelsior Springs Area Chamber of Commerce
Exential US, Inc.
Flagship
Flint & Genesee Group
Garza Industries
Girls Inc. of Johnson County
Golden Isles College and Career Academy
Golden Isles Development Authority
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
Greater Chicopee Chamber of Commerce
Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
Green Rural Redevelopment Organization GRRO
Guthrie Chamber of Commerce
Hazelhurst Chamber of Commerce
Hispanic Center of Western Michigan
Huntington Ingalls Industries
Indiana County Chamber
International Association of Iron Workers (IW)
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC)
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
Island Cove Market
JNB Marketing, LLC
Johnson County Public Library
Kent ISD Workforce Development Center
Kingdom Life Outreach Center Ministries
Kingsbury Companies, LLC
Krater Consulting Group, PC
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce
Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier
Midway Chamber of Commerce
Minot Association of Builders
Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce (AL)
NAACP Greater Grand Rapids Branch
National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont
National Association of Minority Contractors Washington DC Chapter
National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM)
National Job Corps Association (NJCA)
Nevada Health Centers
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU)
North Side/Shore Chamber of Commerce
Northern Nevada Food Bank
Northern Oklahoma Regional Alliance
Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons’ International Association (OPCMIA)
Penn Foster Group
Plouffes Boiler & Mechanical Service Inc
Prestige Printing
Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce
Qannex Corp.
Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce
RoadSafe Traffic Systems
Roswell Air Center
Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce
Sedro-Woolley Chamber of Commerce
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
Shields Windshields
Skagit Transit
Smithville Area Chamber of Commerce
Smyth County Chamber of Commerce
St. Charles Regional Chamber
St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce
Stark Mountain Woodworking
Stilwell Chamber of Commerce
Swords to Plowshares
The Leadership Team at Truckee Meadows Community College
The Longfield Group, LLC
Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM)
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD)
Trinity Health, ND
TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC)
Vergennes Grand Senior Living
Vergennes Partnership
Vermont Adult Learning
VHV Company
Washington DC Joint Plumbing Apprenticeship Committee
Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce
Westville Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce
WorkONE Region 5
cc: Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer