OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon The Cassadaga Job Corps is one of 99 Job Corps centers around the country that is being paused. Its permanent closure is part of President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.

CASSADAGA – Employees at the local Job Corps have been told their program is being put on pause and must find placement for the students on its campus.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is looking to permanently end the program.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that it is “pausing Job Corps Center operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide.” The Cassadaga Job Corps, which sits on Glasgow Road just outside the village, is one of 99 non-federally operated Job Corps centers.

In a news release Thursday, the Department of Labor states, “The decision follows an internal review of the program’s outcome and structure and will be carried out in accordance with available funding, the statutory framework established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and congressional notification requirements.”

The pause of operations at all contractor-operated Job Corps centers will occur by June 30. “As the transition begins, the department is collaborating with state and local workforce partners to assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities,” the Department of Labor stated.

According to the news release, the department’s decision aligns with President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal and reflects the 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,” U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer stated in the news release. “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.”

According to the news release, the Job Corps program has faced significant financial challenges under its current operating structure. In 2024, the program operated at a $140 million deficit, requiring the Biden administration to implement a pause in center operations to complete the program year. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in 2025.

In an email, a Department of Labor official said that the Cassadaga center has a graduation rate of 39.53%. “High schools with graduation rates below 67% are considered low performing under federal law. The cost per graduate at this center is: $123,654.22,” the official wrote.

The official did not respond to questions as to how many students are enrolled in Cassadaga or how many people are employed there.

LOCAL REACTION

An employee, who was not cleared by the federal office, spoke to the OBSERVER/Post-Journal to discuss the situation.

The employee said they have between 180-190 students on the campus and have around 100 positions, although 10-13 of them are currently vacant. Their facility can hold as many as 220 students.

Staff at Job Corps have been told to find placement for their students elsewhere, including sending them home or enrolling them in another program by the end of June. Some of them are in the middle of their training and won’t have the ability to complete it.

The employee said the Department of Labor is calling this a “pause” because Congress has not authorized its closure.

The employee said Job Corps’ permanent closure is part of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill that has been passed by the House of Representatives.

An injunction is currently being sought to keep Job Corps in operation.

The employee took issue with the low graduation rate cited by the Department of Labor. The individual explained that a student “graduates” from Job Corps when he/she gets both a high school diploma and a technical certification. Students who only get a high school diploma are not considered a “graduate.”

The employee noted that Cassadaga Job Corps students have been helping fill the void of carpenters, plumbers and nursing aides and other fields that have a shortage because of retirements.

The individual said they have 14 students working as nursing home aides, which allows the nursing facilities to remain open when they’re short staffed.

The individual said Cassadaga Job Corps employees have spoken with Rep. Nick Langworthy, arguing that students who get a technical certificate can earn up to $40 an hour. Without these types of jobs, those students are more likely to apply for federal assistance in housing, food and heat.

“He only looks at the bottom line,” the individual alleged.

The individual also argued that the Department of Labor made it sound like their housing is unsafe, but added that they have a “zero tolerance” for anyone who gets involved in a fight.

“We’re safer than college campuses,” the individual said.

The Department of Labor’s website state’s that nationwide there are 25,000 students enrolled in Job Corps, however in a commentary published in the OBSERVER last year, Erin McGee, the Acting National Director of Job Corps, said there were 50,000 students. The commentary was published as Job Corps was celebrating its 60 year anniversary.

McGee wrote that Job Corps had trained more than 3 million students since its inception.

The Department of Labor states that funds will be used to pause program operations, which includes managing facilities, maintaining student records, and ensuring students are connected with necessary employment and program resources.

By Friday morning the Job Corps national website switched from discussing Job Corps programs to having “Beyond Job Corps” as its headline. The website highlighted programs like Career One Stop, Apprenticeship USA, federal Pell Grants, military service opportunities and YouthBuild.

The Job Corps is a federal job training and education program designed to serve low-income youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who face barriers to education and employment, founded by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

The Cassadaga Job Corps opened in August, 1978. It offers training in carpentry, electrical, painting, plumbing, certified nursing assistant, advanced training licensed practical nurse and security officer/guard certification.