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.