Nevada

400 students, 170 staff at Sierra Nevada Job Corps in limbo after Trump cuts announced

Published

9 months ago

May 29, 2025

400 students, 170 staff at Sierra Nevada Job Corps in limbo after Trump cuts announced

Sierra Nevada Job Corps in Reno announced to its staff and students Thursday afternoon that it’s shutting down after President Donald Trump ordered its funding be cut to zero.

It’s part of a 60-year-old nationwide program funded by the federal government to train low-income youth ages 16 to 24 for jobs in construction, auto mechanics, nursing, welding, culinary arts, security and more.

“Usually we have about 400 kids on campus at a time,” said Leslie Mix, who handles business relations at Sierra Nevada Job Corps. “It’s a constant flow of young people. We’ve got over 300 kids in the queue waiting to come here.”

Located in Stead with a staff of about 170, the campus includes five dorms, a certified high school, cafeteria and medical services.

According to a news release, the Labor Department will arrange transportation and cover costs to transfer students back to their homes of record by June 30.

“Most of the kids live here so all their stuff is here,” Mix said. “It’ll have to be packed up and transportation arranged. Some can go by air; some will have to go by bus. It’s a cluster.”

Job Corps employees will likely be unemployed, at least in the short term. Staff are not federal employees but paid by independent contractors.

“The Department will provide staff with targeted information and eligibility determination for employment services, access to apprenticeship programs, job fairs, unemployment compensation, armed service recruiters, and alternative education and employment training programs,” the Labor Department said.

Reason for Job Corps elimination

President Trump has called Job Corps a “failed experiment,” saying that the per-student cost each year — estimated at $80,000 — is not a good use of money.

“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training and community,” said Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer in a statement. “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.”

Released in April, the Labor Department analysis found:

Job Corps nationally has a graduation rate of 39%.
Students earn $17,000 a year on average after leaving the program.
And that in 2023, there were almost 15,000 “serious incident reports” on Job Corps campuses including 1,764 acts of violence.

“The Job Corps program has faced significant financial challenges under its current operating structure,” the Labor Department said, adding that its deficit is projected to reach $213 million in 2025.

Response to Labor Department claims

Mix took issue with the Labor Department claims.

Violence and drugs are automatic expulsions at Job Corps, she said.

Also, she found the federal analysis faulty because it’s based on data from the year after the pandemic.

“Job Corps shut down for the pandemic and was only allowed to keep the homeless kids,” she said. “We needed to ramp up (in 2023). So it was not an accurate depiction of what happens with the Job Corps program.”

She said the claim of $80,000 a year per student doesn’t take into account the cost that the young people would have on society if not learning a trade nor the benefits they bring in the years after graduation.

“We draw our kids from at or below poverty level,” Mix said. “They are often homeless. They have very dysfunctional families. They’re living off of the system. They’re in foster care. Half the students who come here haven’t finished high school. Many can’t read. They are already costing the government money.”

Most students were headed toward low-paying jobs or even prison. By contrast, upon graduating from Job Corps, they’ve got a high school diploma and training certifications in various trades.

The least they’re going to make coming out of the Job Corps program is $17.50 and that can increase to $31, Mix said.

“You’ve now got a young person with a lot of self-confidence,” she said. “Now they’re making a good wage and they’re paying taxes that will continue for the rest of their lives. They are able to buy houses, they’re able to buy cars, they’re able to raise families.”

She said Sierra Nevada Job Corps works with employers all over the state: casinos, security jobs, restaurants and medical clinics.

“With Job Corps closing, essentially, there’s going to be a very large amount of young people across the country that have nowhere to go,” Mix said.

Reactions from Nevada’s congressional delegation

President Trump tried to get rid of the Job Corps program in his first term but failed, in part, because of strong bipartisan support.

One Republican who’s a big fan is Rep. Mark Amodei. His congressional district covers Nevada’s northern half.

“I’m just one of those guys who think it has value since I basically grew up with Job Corps in western Nevada my whole life,” he told the RGJ.

He said his office got a call from the White House on May 28 saying it was “zeroing out” Job Corps in Nevada.

Amodei said he wants to research the numbers to understand what the true costs of the program are and what the costs would be if those young people did not have access to Job Corps.

“If you come to a conclusion that (zeroing out funding for Job Corps) is not a good policy, then I’ll vote against it,” he said.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said this is just another example of the Trump administration making life more difficult for Nevadans.

“Job Corps provides important skills training that plays a vital role in helping Nevadans of all backgrounds find and keep a job,” she said in a statement to the RGJ. “In typical Trump fashion, rather than finding ways to improve the program, he’s just gutting it and making everyday Americans suffer.”

Sen. Jacky Rosen called on Trump to reverse course.

“A stop work order would have immediate and severe impacts in Nevada, cutting off our youth population from critical job training needed to build the skills necessary to secure and maintain good-paying jobs,” she said.

Mark Robison is the state politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal, with occasional forays into other topics. Email comments to mrobison@rgj.com or comment on Mark’s Greater Reno Facebook page.

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Nevada

10-month-old found safe, North Las Vegas police cancel AMBER Alert

Published

4 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

10-month-old found safe, North Las Vegas police cancel AMBER Alert

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Authorities have canceled an AMBER Alert after they say a 10-month-old child taken by a non-custodial parent was found safe.

North Las Vegas Police said Thursday that Leilani Williams (aka Leilani Duke) was taken by her father, Roderick Duke.

Duke and Leilani were last seen at an apartment complex in the area of Martin L. King Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue at 1:40 a.m.

“An AMBER Alert has been activated due to Roderick being in emotional crisis and making threats to harm himself and 10-month-old Leilani,” NLVPD said in a statement.

By 10:05 a.m., NLVPD said that Leilani was located unharmed.

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Officers took Duke into custody without further incident, and the AMBER Alert has been canceled.

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Nevada

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to Nevada Democrats in Las Vegas

Published

16 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to Nevada Democrats in Las Vegas

California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Nevada Democrats who packed a Las Vegas brewery Wednesday evening for a discussion about his upbringing, his political life and efforts his state has taken to combat the Trump administration agenda.

Newsom, who has been floated as a possible White House contender for 2028, sidestepped a quip from former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak who introduced him as the next U.S. president amid cheers from the crowd.

“I’m very grateful for your friendship, and a friendship that’s only strengthened over the course of the last year or so,” Newsom told Sisolak.

Book tour stop

The event, which served as a book tour stop for the California governor, was organized by the Nevada Democratic Party. It took place at Nevada Brew Works near Summerlin.

Nevada Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the state party chair running for North Las Vegas mayor, moderated the discussion.

It was part of the party’s Local Brews + National Views series that’s been bringing Democrats for similar discussions at intimate venues. Past speakers have included former President Joe Biden, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

Criticizing President Donald Trump, Newsom spoke about the immediate aftermath of the 2024 general election.

“We were handwringing, a lot of finger pointing, and a sense of weakness,” Newsom said. “And just incapable of dealing with this moment, this existential moment.”

He said he is taking account for what he described as his own complicity.

“This happened on my watch. This is all happening on our watch,” Newsom said. “And so I realized that I needed to be better.”

That included his advocacy to redraw California’s Congressional map after Trump called for the same in Texas, he said.

“They’re not screwing around, nor are we,” he said about Trump and his administration. “All of us.”

‘You’re giving us a voice’

Newsom spoke out against the surge of federal immigration enforcement operations in California and later Minnesota, calls from the Trump administration to nationalize elections, and cuts to government funding due to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

He said that pushback against Trump’s policies, including dozens of lawsuits filed by California, were making the president retreat on some of his proposals and policies.

“You’re filling the void, you’re giving us a voice, you’re giving us courage,” he told the crowd. “For things to change, we have to change. And it’s changing.”

The Republican National Committee reacted to Newsom’s Las Vegas visit. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private Boulder City event.

“Democrats are selling out to the spoiled, phony rich kid governor from California for years,” RNC spokesperson Nick Poche wrote in a statement. “President Donald Trump and Republicans are delivering major tax cuts and keeping Nevadans safe, unlike Democrats.”

The national Republican Party also criticized California’s policies, and tied them back to Nevada Democrats.

Most of Newsom’s remarks weren’t specific to Nevada. He didn’t take any questions from media.

Polling shows Newsom and Vice President JD Vance leading in hypothetical races for their parties’ nomination. That includes a survey of likely Nevada voters conducted one by Emerson College Polling in November.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Nevada

Second annual Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival celebrates Tahoe winter recreation at SnowFest

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Second annual Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival celebrates Tahoe winter recreation at SnowFest

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – It’s time to “free your heels” and embrace Tahoe’s winter recreation at the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival on March 7. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or you’re trying to get your feet wet, Saturday’s event is teeming with nature, brews, and camaraderie.

The Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival takes place Saturday, March 7

Provided/SnowFest

Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is teaming up with Nevada Nordic, Tahoe Multisport, Alibi Ale Works, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and other local partners in the wondrous Tahoe Meadows, providing attendees a chance to engage with outdoor recreation experts, check out free cross-country and snowshoe rentals, and more.

“We’re excited to see the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival enter its second year, building on last year’s strong community response. In collaboration with our local partners, this event is thoughtfully curated with residents in mind – offering free equipment for the day, expert instruction, locally crafted brews, and other experiences in a welcoming setting,” said Andy Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “It’s designed to make it easy for residents to get outside, try something new, and bring people together. Events like this reflect the spirit of North Lake Tahoe and what’s possible when our community comes together.”

Along with opportunities to test out free demos and rentals, there will be live music, beer tasting and races.

Tahoe Meadows is known for its gentle trails, and is a popular spot for snowshoeing due to its flat terrain. This event, located near Chickadee Ridge, will offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

This family-friendly event is on the second to last day of the 10-day SnowFest winter festival that’s been taking place in the North Lake Tahoe area. It starts bright and early at 9 a.m. and will close out at 2 p.m.

“Nevada Nordic is thrilled to be a part of SnowFest again this year,” said Meghan Pry, Nevada Nordic Board Member. “We love sharing our passion for cross-country skiing and watching our community grow. We are proud to keep winter recreation accessible by offering free access to our 20km trail network. This is the perfect opportunity for our community to gather together and free our heels!”

For more information about the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival or to check out the SnowFest schedule, visit tahoesnowfest.org.

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