If you're a low-income young adult in Pinellas County, you have one less option for housing, education and job training. The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced it is closing about 120 Job Corps Centers, including one in St. Petersburg.
The program helps ages 16 to 24 get education, apprenticeships, job assistance or military careers. Many of the centers, like the one in Pinellas, provide housing to students who otherwise could be living on the streets or in other unsafe situations.
“A lot of young kids go to college; and living in the dorm is kind of like a training wheels for adulthood, where they still have support and they're around people that they can go to for those adulting questions,” said Kathy Dickson, a licensed clinical social worker and director of Clinical Services at Bay Area Behavioral Services in Brandon.
“And Job Corps is kind of the same for people who aren't going that traditional college route, that they're able to get the support while leaving the nest."
She said 70% of her clients are on Medicaid — and her organization regularly referred people to Job Corps. She found out about the closure on the news.
"I immediately knew what that meant, which was a lot of young adults are going to be homeless,” Dickson said. “Wherever they are in that process of getting their GED or getting certification, where does that leave them? Do they have to start from scratch?"
There are workarounds to the services Job Corps provided, she said, but it’s not ideal.
"What we'll have to do is kind of piecemeal it together with different organizations and different services in the area based on each need," Dickson said. "That just makes it more complex, because the more systems that you have working with an individual, the more place there is for error."
Why is Job Corps being shut down?
The federal government said the program isn't working and costs too much.
The department, in a news release on its website, said the decision aligns with President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal and reflects his administration’s "commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.”
“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training and community,” Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said. “However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve.
"We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program’s possibilities.”
The department's Job Corps Transparency Report claimed the average graduation rate at centers was less than 40%; cost more than $80,000 a year per student; that participants earn less than $17,000 a year on average; and that there was a high incident rate of sexual assaults, acts of violence, drug use and more.
The Pinellas County Job Corps Center did not respond to repeated requests from WUSF for comment.
Community support
In response to the abrupt closure, the Warehouse Arts District Association will host a community event Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the ArtsXchange, 515 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg, in support of the students, faculty and staff affected.
The event will bring together students, community partners and local elected officials to raise awareness, share stories, and call for immediate action to reinstate and protect the services Job Corps provides to the region’s youth.
“This is first and foremost about the students, whose educational journeys were halted without warning,” said Markus Gottschlich, executive director of association. “But the impact extends far beyond their campus. Job Corps has been an engaged and valued neighbor in the Warehouse Arts District — consistently showing up for our community, participating in public events, and encouraging their students to explore the arts and culture that thrive here.”
“Their presence has enriched our district, and it’s a real loss to see not only students disrupted, but also the dedicated faculty and staff — many of whom contribute meaningfully to our city — facing the possibility of leaving the area altogether.”
Find more information about the event here.
