Lisa New is worried about the future of her Guthrie community.
Since the U.S. Department of Labor issued "a phased pause in operations" on May 29 for Job Corps Centers across the country, she is concerned that it will affect her organization, Helping Community Paws and Claws, and other local nonprofits. She's also uneasy about the uncertain future of staff and students.
"These are respectful, hardworking young adults who are actively trying to improve their lives and give back to their community," she said in a text message. "The closure of Guthrie Job Corps is not just a bureaucratic shift – it is a community crisis in the making."
Job Corps is a federally funded residential educational and career training program for eligible low-income young adults, ages 16 to 24. They come to Job Corps for academic education, to learn skills, get real-life experiences and job opportunities in construction, welding, security, culinary arts and other fields.
The Department of Labor extended the deadline for students to vacate campuses from June 3 to June 13, said Adam Martin, workforce specialist and community liaison for the Tulsa Job Corps Center.
There are 99 defunded, contractor-operated Job Corps Centers in the country, with three locations in Oklahoma: Tulsa, Guthrie and Tahlequah.
Martin said the sudden deadline forced centers to scramble to find new resources for education and job training, but especially for immediate housing. On Monday, he said that most of the students had been rehoused so some progress had been made.
"We have students here that don't have families," he said. "The reality is a lot of them came here to better their future, to better their chances at a life that they never had."
Some of the Tulsa center's 153 students were on track to graduate with diplomas next month, he said. Now, their future is uncertain.
Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, said in a statement that the Cherokee Nation has operated a Job Corps training center since 1978.
"Our program, Talking Leaves Job Corps, has served native and non-native students for many decades," he said, "positively impacting their lives in a culturally rich environment."
He said he has concerns about the 150 Tahlequah students who live on campus, study to receive a high school diploma or GED and develop life and job skills.
A recent Department of Labor internal review cites multimillion-dollar deficits.
"The Job Corps program has faced significant financial challenges under its current operating structure," according to a statement by the Department of Labor.
Department officials said the program in 2024 operated at a $140 million deficit. In 2025, that deficit is projected to reach $213 million.
The review also documented many serious incident reports, including sexual assaults, inappropriate sexual behavior, acts of violence, reported drug use and breach of security.
Even with mandatory background checks and drug testing, Adam Martin said behavioral issues and acting out among students occur. Because Job Corps is a federally funded program, the centers are subject to close scrutiny and are required to report every incident.
"We do a full, thorough everything on our end and make sure that the person we're bringing in our center actually wants to be here," he said. Like on many campuses, some students take their studies seriously and others do not.
"They choose to come here," said Martin. "We're tasked to help them complete whatever it is that they want to accomplish while at our centers."
The Tulsa Job Corps Center ranks No. 21 of the 99 centers with the highest success rate, he said.
Even though the graduation rate is reported to be almost 40%, Lisa New said she's seen positive changes in students who want to be in the program. "We have to fight for the ones who want it."
With the funding clock ticking toward a June 30 deadline, Martin asks for public support by calling their federal representatives and senators.
"We are actually truly changing lives," he said.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
