The Labor Department announced Tuesday that it was temporarily shutting down its Job Corps centers in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico following the recently updated advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The program provides training, room, and board for people between the ages of 16 and 24 to complete high school, get training for a career in a skilled trade, and/or find employment.
The department “is acting to protect the health and safety of its tens of thousands of students and staff across the country. There is no evidence of any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any Job Corps center at this time,” the agency announced.
The closure will extend through April 14, and center operators will provide students with transportation home. For students without a current residence, the department will arrange temporary alternate living accommodations, including housing and food.
The department said the closure would be treated as if it were a “spring break” for participants. “The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to the overall success of the Job Corps program, and student safety is key to that commitment,” said John Pallasch, the Department of Labor’s assistant secretary of employment and training. “This spring break not only provides clarity for students, their families, and center staff but also allows Job Corps maximum flexibility to respond to this evolving national emergency.”
