WASHINGTON– Greg Regan and Shari Semelsberger, President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department (TTD), issued the following statement after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted a Temporary Restraining Order preventing the Department of Labor (DOL) from closing Job Corps centers:
“Today’s court decision protects the thousands of at-risk youth who depend on Job Corps not only for career training but for a place to live. We are relieved that these students are secure for the time being, and we strongly urge the Department of Labor to reverse its decision to end the Job Corps program.
“Simply put, Job Corps is a lifeline for students who are transforming their own lives by seeking a way out of the hand they’ve been dealt. With a skilled trades career that provides a steady income, these young people are less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system or rely on public assistance.
“At its core, Job Corps is a trade school that supports President Trump’s policy goal of reaching 1 million new active apprentices annually. From shipbuilders to welders, the program trains young people to join America’s skilled trades workforce.
“We will continue to press the Trump Administration to keep this program going.”
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