Connecticut Congressional Delegation Calls For End to Job Corps Freeze

Students in New Haven, Hartford Have Been Shut Out

WASHINGTON, DC—Connecticut's entire congressional delegationtoday called on the Department of Labor (DOL) to end the current freeze onstudent enrollment as soon as possible at Job Corps centers in New Haven,Hartford and nationwide. Congress passed legislation this week funding thefederal government and giving DOL the authority to immediately transfer fundsto the Job Corps program to end the freeze.

"The enrollment freeze has resulted in significantrestraints on the ability of the high performing New Haven and Hartford,Connecticut Job Corps centers to operate and provide critical services tostudents" they wrote. "Rather than a broad freeze on student enrollment, webelieve ETA could develop a more strategic approach to achieving the necessarycost savings in this program year that takes advantage of any opportunity totransfer available funds and minimize the impact on centers like those inConnecticut. Our hope is that with this new transfer authority, aswell as individualized contract modification with Jobs Corps center operators,you can end the student enrollment freeze."

DOL suspended new enrollment for Job Corps centersnationwide in January, due to a budget shortfall. The delegation wrote toActing Secretary Seth Harris at that time, expressing their concern with thedecision (letter attached).

Started in 1964, Job Corps is an education and trainingprogram that helps young people learn a career, earn a high school diploma orGED, and find and keep a good job. For eligible young people at least 16 yearsof age that qualify as low income, Job Corps provides the all-around skillsneeded to succeed in a career and in life.

Today's letter follows in full:

March 22, 2013

The Honorable Seth D. Harris

Acting Secretary of Labor

Frances Perkins Building

200 Constitution Ave NW

Washington, DC 20210

Dear Acting Secretary Harris,

We write once again to express our concern with theEmployment and Training Administration's (ETA) ongoing freeze on studentenrollments at Job Corps centers across the country and to encourage you to usethe tools at your disposal, including the transfer authority contained in theFiscal Year 2013 Continuing Appropriations Act (H.R. 933) recently passed byboth the House and Senate, to end the freeze as soon as possible.

The enrollment freeze has resulted in significant restraintson the ability of the high performing New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut JobCorps centers to operate and provide critical services to students. InNew Haven, 55 young adults set to be admitted were not enrolled and a number ofalready accepted students on medical leave have been unable to return to theprogram. In Hartford, 132 projected students were denied enrollment because ofthe suspension and many of these students, like those in New Haven, needalready stretched public assistance as they await the opportunity to join theprogram. Moreover, the New Haven center cut 14 staff members because ofthe shortfall and the Hartford center projects that 33 percent of its staffwill need to be let go as a result of the enrollment freeze.

As you know, H.R. 933 allows ETA to transfer up to $30million to the Office of Jobs Corps for operations in program years 2012 and2013, and requires that of this amount, at least $10 million must betransferred within 30 days of the legislation's imminent signing to providesome immediate relief for the current shortfall for the 2012 program yearending on June 30.

As we previously wrote, rather than a broad freeze onstudent enrollment, we believe ETA could develop a more strategic approach toachieving the necessary cost savings in this program year that takes advantageof any opportunity to transfer available funds and minimize the impact oncenters like those in Connecticut. Our hope is that with this newtransfer authority, as well as individualized contract modification with JobsCorps center operators, you can end the student enrollment freeze. Werespectfully urge you to act promptly, and to update us on your plan to addressthis critical issue.

We recognize that along with the shortfall for this programyear, the Department of Labor is operating in a highly constrained budgetaryenvironment, particularly in light of sequestration. Nevertheless, wehope to see a strong funding request for this important program in theDepartment's upcoming Fiscal Year 2014 budget proposal and look forward toworking with you to ensure the program is on more stable footing in programyear 2013 and beyond.

We continue to be strong supporters of the Jobs Corpsprogram, firmly believing that it plays a critical role providing young peoplewith vital job training opportunities so that they realize success asadults. In today's economy, the mission of the program is as critical asever.

Thank you for your consideration of this important request.

Sincerely,

Richard Blumenthal

Chris Murphy

Rosa DeLauro

John Larson

Joe Courtney

Jim Himes

Elizabeth Esty