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.
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:
“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.
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.
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.
How smartphone apps turn your night sky into a space map
Astronomy apps help you spot constellations, planets and satellites in real time using your smartphone.
Skywatchers across the U.S. are about to be treated to a dazzling weekend filled with not only two active meteor showers, but a celestial alignment starring the moon.
For two nights, Earth’s only natural satellite will host a cosmic party with three planets — Mars, Saturn and Uranus.
The phenomenon, often called a planet parade, presents spectators with a rare opportunity to see not only multiple planets, but also the moon, appear close together in the night sky — at least, from Earth’s vantage.
The best part of the show? Most of the striking spectacle — with the exception of Uranus — will be visible to the naked eye.
Here’s everything to know about the rare sight, as well as when, how and where you can see it across the United States.
The moon will appear in the night sky before sunrise on Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12, NASA said in a monthly skywatching guide.
While the term “planet parade” is not an official astronomy term, it is an unofficial way for astronomers and stargazers to refer to certain celestial events.
The planets in our solar system orbit the sun essentially along a line across the sky in a flat disc-shaped plane called the ecliptic.
Another term for a certain kind of planetary alignment, planet parades are what happens when planets line up along the ecliptic in a straight line and appear to us on Earth to be marching across the night sky, according to NASA. So, while planetary alignments themselves aren’t special, it is notable to have an opportunity to observe multiple planets at once.
During the celestial alignment, the moon will be entering a waning crescent phase before we have a new moon, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac. That means Earth’s only natural satellite is getting less and less full and bright each night as its crescent gets thinner and thinner, NASA explains.
That’s good news for stargazers, as the moon will still be visible without outshining the planets nearby.
Look toward the eastern sky to catch the cosmic lineup in the early morning.
While the moon will of course be the easiest to locate, Mars will look like a small reddish point of light, while Saturn is also bright and easy to spot, NASA explained in a video.
For the clearest views, there are several places that are an easy drive from Reno where you can get a clear view of the stars, including:
Cloudy conditions may bring relief from the recent heat wave, but they could spoil the early-morning view of the planetary parade in much of northwestern Nevada.
Mars and Saturn are among the five planets in our solar system visible without optical aid — along with Mercury, Venus and Jupiter. Telescopes certainly will enhance the view but spectators don’t need any equipment to spot those planets joining the moon in the pre-dawn sky.
As for Uranus, the planet is typically not as bright — despite being the third largest in our solar system — and will require a telescope to see, NASA said.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com. The Reno Gazette Journal’s Carly Sauvageau and Brett McGinness contributed to this report.
A Nevada man is believed to have suffered a deadly fall while climbing in Oregon.
He’s been identified as 77-year-old Robert Pickering.
Search and rescue crews say they found his body along Mount Washington, northwest of Bend, according to a social media post from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
A climbing guide reported hearing a rockslide near the summit after Pickering passed his group.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office was one of several groups that assisted in the search.
RENO, Nev. – A homicide suspect from Montana took their own life on Thursday night after police surrounded their car in northwest Reno, reports KTVN 2 News Nevada.
The incident happened in the area of Sharlands Avenue around 9 p.m., according to a spokesperson for the Reno Police Department.
Officers located the suspect and surrounded their car, blocking them in. They then heard a single gunshot and backed away.
Reinforcements were called, and a drone was brought in by UNRPD. It was then confirmed the suspect was in their car, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the news agency reports.
The suspect has not been identified pending the notification of next of kin, and no additional information has been released at this time.
In addition to the Reno Police Department, the Regional Narcotics Unit and Washoe County Sheriff’s Office also responded.
The investigation is ongoing.
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