DeLauro Blasts Shuttering of New Haven Job Corps

Today, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) slammed the Department of Labor’s shuttering of Job Corps operations at the New Haven Job Corps Center:

“Job Corps is a lifeline for thousands of young people in Connecticut and across the country who rely on it for critical job training and career education. The Trump administration, which has claimed falsely to be on the side of workers, is already pursuing their plan to eliminate Job Corps—illegally shuttering Job Corps sites and pausing operations across the country. Just a few weeks ago President Trump said he wanted to ‘Make America Skilled Again.’ Now, he is pulling the plug on a program that does just that. 

“The New Haven Job Corps Center has successfully launched the careers of thousands of young adults in a variety of fields since 1996 – providing career technical and academic training to young people aged 16-24. It is the heart of our work to level the playing field so that young people can get the technical skills they need to earn a good living. In this cost-of-living crisis, Job Corps opens doors to financial security for young people.  

“The Department of Labor’s decision to close New Haven’s Job Corps Center disrupts the learning of our youth, and in some cases, it has left students with nowhere left to go. These are young people without families and community support who rely on Job Corps to support them. If they are forced to leave the center, some students face homelessness. That is unacceptable. 

“I am calling on the Department of Labor to reinstate full operations in New Haven and every center across the country, and to comply with the law. I applaud Connecticut Attorney General William Tong for filing an amicus brief along with 20 other states Attorneys General in support of Job Corps and opposing the administration’s illegal closures.”