JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — By month’s end, thousands of individuals enrolled in the federally funded Job Corps program, consisting of students and staff, will be exiting the program.

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a gradual closure for all 99 Job Corps centers nationwide. This decision was made due to financial difficulties and various issues, including incidents of sexual assault.

For more than 60 years, the Job Corps program has provided free education, housing and job training to people between the ages of 16 to 24.

Jacksonville native Aaliyah Taylor has been in the Job Corps program in Montgomery, Alabama for only four weeks.

However, she just learned last week the program she just started will soon be closing.

“A lot of students here broke down. There was a lot of rage and uncertainty in the air about where they would go,” Taylor said.

It’s caused lots of uncertainty for her and other students at her center, like Rebecca Fred. 

Fred is a single mom of two left wondering what’s next.

“I came here to acquire a trade and improve my life for myself and my daughters. They’ve assisted me with clothing, hygiene products, and transportation to places I needed to visit,” Fred said.

“There’s a lot of us that are homeless like myself so that’s really big. We have to go to shelters or something,” she said.

On May 29, the Department of Labor announced it will pause operations at all 99 Job Corps centers by June 30, 2025.

The decision comes after an internal review cited financial challenges, safety concerns and declining outcomes.

A Job Corps 2023 transparency report revealed the graduation rate is 39%. It also revealed 14,913 serious incident reports, including sexual assaults, breaches of security and reported drug use.

In 2024, Job Corps had a $140 million deficit, that number is projected to climb to $213 million by 2025.

George Sheehan taught maintenance skills at the Jacksonville job corps.

“I enjoyed being with the students,” Sheehan said. “I feel really terrible mostly for the students. The impact on them that is the worst part of the whole thing for me.”

Despite the planned closure, students like Rebecca and Aaliyah have started petitions, written letters and even sent videos with their classmates to legislators in hopes of changing their fate.

According to the Department of Labor, their decision aligns with President Trump’s 2026 budget proposal. The department will work with local partners to help students transition to new education and employment opportunities.