KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
—
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a pause to dozens of Job Corps Centers nationwide, including the campus in Excelsior Springs, which will close by the end of the month.
The program provides free education and career training opportunities to at-risk teens and adults ages 16-24.
Corben Tackett, a student studying carpentry, said the center has provided him a new path in life.
"I came here because I really didn't do too well in school," Tackett said. "I came here for a new opportunity, a new chance to restart my life."
His dreams were suddenly halted last Thursday after the Department of Labor made the decision to pause operations at several campuses across the country.
In a press release, DOL Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRener said the department’s decision aligns with the President’s FY 2026 budget proposal and reflects the administration’s commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.
The DOL also stated the pause is due to "significant operation issues," citing unsafe work conditions throughout campuses nationwide.
However, the National Job Corps Association said those claims are inaccurate in a recent article.
There are more than 250 students at the campus in Excelsior Springs and more than 100 staff members.
Students at the Job Corps Center in Excelsior Springs not only receive classroom instruction and trade certifications, but they also live on-site, where they're provided meals, mental health services and job placement support.
“The hallmark of the Job Corps program is not just the training that we offer, but it is the wrap-around services that we provide for our students: counseling, leisure time, employment, transportation, allowing them to work in the evenings, helping them to eliminate the barriers from their life to being successful employees, life skills, classes and all of those things," said Center Director Lori Sams.
Natalie Thompson graduated in 2019. She said the center gave her the proper skills needed for finding jobs and interviews.
"It helped me gain a lot more confidence in myself," Thompson said. "Because before I started Job Corps, I was very shy ... had a lot of self-esteem issues. When I joined, I also did the NJROTC there, which teaches you self-discipline. It teaches you multicultural awareness as well, and it makes you become a better adult."
Justin Courtney, who is studying welding, is set to receive his certification at the end of the month. He said the campus has given him a new community.
“It’s emotional," he said. "There are times when people around the dorm will just come in and go to my room, and we'll sit ... and we'll just have a 45-minute session of just going around sharing thoughts, feelings, everything that's going on."
The U.S. Department of Labor has not specified how long the pause will last.
The center in Excelsior Springs said it is working with several students to place them into temporary housing.
The last day for services will be Monday, June 30.
__