File Photo Le Chandra Mathis and Sean O’Conner practice building spreadsheets with their instructor Walter Serrano at Quentin N. Burdick Job Corps Center in June 2024.

Administrators at the Quentin N. Burdick Job Corps Center in Minot were assessing the potential impact Friday of a U.S. Department of Labor announcement that it will begin a phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide.

Operations on Friday were as normal while staff worked with the contractor to determine how the Minot center might be affected, according to a center spokesperson.

The Labor Department announced the phased pause is designed to create an orderly transition for students, staff and local communities. The decision follows an internal review of the program’s outcome and structure and will be carried out in accordance with available funding, the statutory framework established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and congressional notification requirements, the department stated in a news release.The pause of operations at all contractor-operated Job Corps centers will occur by June 30, the release stated. As the transition begins, the department is collaborating with state and local workforce partners to assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities.

The department stated the decision aligns with President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal and reflects the administration’s commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.

“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in the release. “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. We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program’s possibilities.”

The Job Corps program has faced significant financial challenges under its current operating structure, according to the department. In program year 2024, the program operated at a $140 million deficit, requiring the Biden administration to implement a pause in center operations to complete the program year. The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in program year 2025.

On April 25, the department’s Employment and Training Administration released the first-ever Job Corps Transparency Report, which analyzed the financial performance and operational costs of the most recently available metrics of program year 2023. A summary of the overall findings showed:

– Average graduation rate (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), 38.6%; Minot, 27.4%

– Average cost per student per year, $80,284

– Average total cost per graduate (WIOA), $155,600; Minot, $221,948

– Post separation, participants earn $16,695 annually on average; Minot, $14,665

– Total serious incident reports, program year 2023, 14,913 infractions; Minot, 87

– Inappropriate sexual behavior and sexual assaults reported, 372

– Acts of violence reported, 1,764

– Breaches of safety or security, 1,167

– Reported drug use, 2,702

– Total hospital visits, 1,808

The report indicated the Minot center had 175 separations and 48 graduates during the program year ended June 30, 2024. Of the separations, 63 were disciplinary and 23 were unauthorized absences.

The Burdick Job Corps Center celebrated its 30th anniversary last June. Information released by the City of Minot at that time indicated about 140 students were attending.

The Job Corps program was established in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Economic Opportunity Act. There are 122 centers nationwide. The Burdick center is the only Job Corps center in North Dakota.