By Michael Hoyt, Corvallis
Late Friday morning, May 24, 2019, it was announced that the U.S. Forest Service, the USDA agency which has always operated Job Corps centers would stop that management at the end of the current (government) fiscal year, September 30, 2019. The current administration in Washington transferred the Job Corps program from USDA to the Department of Labor (DOL) some time ago; however, the Forest Service and its employees continued to operate the centers.
That Friday-morning message included the unexpected announcement that 9 of the Nation’s 25 remaining Job Corps centers would be closed and that operation of the remaining 16 would henceforth be outsourced to private, for-profit contractors.
Job Corps centers were established in 1964 as part of our Nation’s war on poverty. This program serves young people ages 16-24. Many of the young people who participate in the Job Corps have gone through tough time and have gotten into trouble. The Job Corps program provides those participants with work skills, helping turn them into productive members of society rather than residents of correctional facilities.
The nation’s Job Corps centers, currently run by federal employees, help train youths in wildland firefighting, forestry, culinary arts, welding, and other trades. In addition, enrollees help U.S. conservation efforts on public lands located near the training centers, activities which sometimes include assignment to wildfires and prescribed burns.
As 2018 came to a close, Montana had three Job Corps centers located at Trapper Creek (near Connor), Anaconda, and Kicking Horse (in Ronan). The Kicking Horse center was unexpectedly closed by the DOL on the last day of February 2019. Anaconda is slated to be closed at the end of September 2019. Trapper Creek will remain open but will be operated by a for-profit contractor beginning October 1, 2019.
Nationwide, 1,000+ people employed at the Job Corps centers will be out of a job. Although some Forest Service employees affected by this reduction in force (RIF) may be eligible for priority placement within the USDA and other government agencies, the lives of those employees and their families will be greatly disrupted.
The Job Corps is one of the largest employers in Anaconda. The disappearance of those jobs and the services its students provide to the community will damage the local economy. The loss of available jobs in Ronan certainly did not help that already economically depressed area. Trapper Creek has 50+ employees who will soon be out of a job. Even if offered similar employment by the for-profit contractor that takes over the center, they will be expected to work for less pay and fewer benefits.
The change in the way the remaining Job Corps centers will be operated (or the complete loss of centers) will have a negative impact on the lives of the American citizens who reside nearby. Unlike the way the Job Corps centers have operated in the past, it is probable that for-profit contractors will not allow students under their supervision to provide “free-of-charge” firefighting services or other public land management activities without being compensated by local communities.
The historical operation of the Forest Service Job Corps program has significant support from both sides of Congress; Democrats believe in the humanitarian component and Republicans believe in the fiscal responsibility of training young adults in poverty to learn the skills needed to hold a living-wage job.
If this proposed agreement between the unelected heads of the USDA and the DOL takes place, local governments will be forced to raise taxes to cover the cost of providing the services the Job Corps previously provided without charge.
No matter which side of the political spectrum you favor, contact your elected Congressional representatives to let them know you oppose this proposed change to the Job Corps. Your voice will help provide the support your elected officials need to vote against this irrational transfer of public service jobs to the for-profit sector.