Cascades Job Corps closure may leave dozens of students searching for a home

Cascades Job Corps in Skagit County was preparing to close with short notice following a national order from the Trump administration. The Department of Labor announced the phasing out of Job Corps centers across the U.S. to begin immediately May 29.

A June 4 restraining order granted by a U.S. district judge paused a national stop-work order from the Trump administration.

The restraining order was requested by the national Job Corps Association on June 4 and is only temporary, with the next hearing scheduled for June 17.

“We are incredibly grateful for your support and advocacy during this uncertain time. Your belief in the power of Job Corps to transform lives has made a difference,” Cascades Academy Director Kendra Watson said in an email June 5. “As we await further guidance from the Department of Labor, we remain committed to serving our students and communities without interruption. We encourage you to continue standing with us by visiting www.savejobcorps.com to stay informed and share your voice in support of this vital program.”

Regular classes at Cascades are resuming Monday, Watson said.

“For generations, Job Corps has provided life-changing education and hands-on training to young people looking for a pathway to a better future,” Donna Hay, president and CEO of the National Job Corps Association, said in a national statement June 3. “These students are often overcoming significant personal and economic challenges, and Job Corps gives them the ability to gain the skills they need to build meaningful careers.”

Job Corps is a federally funded program that offers free education to people ages 16-24. The Corps helps students develop practical skills for specific jobs, and provides its graduates with a GED or high school diploma. The program, which is managed by the U.S. Department of Labor also provides support in finding employment after graduation.

There are 99 Job Corps campuses across the country, including the Cascades Job Corps in Sedro-Wooley.

The Cascades Job Corps center currently houses more than 250 students, about 60 of which would be homeless without the program, Watson told The Herald in June 3 interview.

Watson said the Corps was given until June 6 to have students off the campus. In response to much public criticism, the deadline was extended to June 13. For students soon to be homeless, the Corps will be allowed to request permission for students who will soon be homeless to stay until June 30.The Cascades Job Corps has more than 250 students who now need a new place to live following a national closure order from the Department of Labor Jack Belcher/The Bellingham Herald

“This (federal order) is devastating to our kids, but this is nationwide,” Safety and Security Manager Jimmy Ross told The Herald June 3. “This is our lives; none of us are here for the money. These kids are our heart and soul, and we believe in every one of them.”

In an interview with The Herald outside of campus grounds June 3, Watson said the news came as a shock. Staff members recently were asked to not allow members of the media on campus by the Department of Labor, she said.

“This program is 60 years old, and it aligns with the [Trump] administration and what they want,” Ross said. “They want skilled workers. They want skilled youth. And if you look at Trump, his speeches are always talking about looking at the trades and looking at turning young people (into workers), so we fit into that agenda. So I was thinking ‘this is great, we are gonna align and it’s not going to be a problem.’”

In the May 29 statement, Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chaves-DeRemer said the Job Corps “is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve,” and provided statistics from the first-ever Job Corps Transparency Report, which analyzed the 2023 numbers.

However, Watson said the data provided was for a period when the Job Corps was still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore not representative of the program as a whole.

“Many centers faced delayed recovery in areas like student recruitment, mental health impacts, staffing shortages and rebuilding partnerships for internships and job placements,” Watson said.

During pandemic recovery many students left the center but funding remained constant, making it appear as though centers across the country were receiving more funding than deserved, Watson said.

Although the move against the Job Corps surprised Watson, she said the first sign the Trump administration was targeting the program was about six weeks ago when the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut funding to provide background checks on incoming students. The move stopped the Job Corps from enrolling new students. At Cascades Job Corps, Watson had a list of applicants that had already completed background checks and were eligible to enroll.

Contracting companies stopped receiving money from the federal government about six weeks ago, according to Watson. Staff members at the Cascades Job Corps don’t work directly for the government. Instead they are hired through contractors. The contractors have still been paid through their companies, but there are indications the companies have not received the agreed-upon funding from the government.

The Job Corps enrolls students on a weekly basis, which means there are students who are entering and leaving every week, with about 500 graduates a year. Funding for the organization amounts to about $50,000 a student, according to Watson.

“When Cascades Job Corps shuts down at the end of the month, many of those 250 young people will lose access to housing and health care, and all of them will lose access to the education they were pursuing. All staff members will lose their jobs as well,” U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington said in a statement June 3. “In the past week, my office has received 90 messages from Cascades Job Corps students, alumni, and staff, and other community leaders who see the vital services the program provides. I hear you, and I share your anger.”

The Cascades Job Corps is currently working to transition students so they can finish their education while also looking for housing for their students in need. Watson said the staff has been amazing, focusing on what students need and how staff can help.

“I know, 100 percent, that they (staff) are concerned about themselves, but they are completely focused at work and making sure that our students are taken care of, but the feeling is sad, completely sad,” Watson said. “A lot of these people have worked for Job Corps for many years and believe in the mission. I have been working with them for 18 years, and I have seen firsthand how amazing it is and how many thousands and thousands of students we have touched and are now successful.”

Watson said the community support has been amazing, with support systems and shelters coming into place to help students. Although many of the solutions are only available through June 30, with very few options past July 1.

The 140 staff members on campus will also be out of work by the end of the month.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell said the cutting of the Job Corps in Skagit Valley will harm local businesses.

“For 60 years, Cascades Job Corps has played an essential role in the workforce of Skagit Valley,” said Sen. Cantwell June 3. “Canceling funding for the career and technical skills they provide to their students — some of whom are weeks away from graduation — will hurt the small and medium-sized businesses in Northwest Washington that utilize their workforce pipeline.”

Just in Skagit County, the Cascades Job Corps had plans to help with local community events including the Fourth of July Sedro-Wooley Loggerodeo, a footrace with the Rotary Club and the Pride in Bellingham Parade, according to Watson.

“This program is too important to our youth, especially after covid and the setback that created,” said Eva Swain, safety officer for Cascades Job Corps. “I have seen so many lives completely turned around with this program. This is absolutely heartbreaking.”

Editor’s note (June 5): This article was updated to include information regarding a temporary restraining order that has put the closure of the national program and local organizations on hold.