NANTICOKE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Nearly 100 Job Corps centers nationwide are being put on pause or closing, including two in our area. Now, a local company providing services to adults with autism is stepping in to help.
28/22 News reporter Gianna Galli has been following the story.
Between the two local job corps centers, more than 400 students, dozens of them homeless, are having to turn elsewhere for their education and housing.
A Nanticoke business has set up a way for people to help these students in need during a difficult time.
Stephanie Jones is the founder and executive director of Functional Connections in Nanticoke.
Her company provides services to adults living with autism and behavioral challenges, but now it is also serving as the drop-off center for new or gently used duffle bags, suitcases, and/or backpacks to donate to local Job Corps students.
"Growing up, I had a lot of foster siblings who came in with paper bags of belongings, and it was a really big deal whenever they would move out of our house, that they took a suitcase with them and they were properly packed, and it meant so much," Jones expressed.
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Due to significant financial issues, the Department of Labor is shutting down Job Corps centers across the nation by the end of June.
That means 467 students between Hazleton's Keystone Job Corps Center and the Red Rock Job Corps campuses in NEPA are going to need to places to work and stay.
"Even though these opportunities all got stripped away, maybe these kids could go out with just a little bit of dignity," said Jones.
One of the center's employees states that 50 of the more than 400 impacted students, ranging from ages 16-25, are now homeless.
Jones is a former Job Corps employee at Oregon and Massachusetts centers, and this abrupt decision really hit home for her.
"I learned way more from those students than they ever learned from me," Jones commented.
The student's graduation this year has been canceled, and the local centers are working with Career Link to help set up a new plan for them.
On-site housing is still being offered.
A duffel bag may seem like a simple thing, but Jones knows it will go a long way to helping these students.
"They are no strangers to this. They are going to find their way and they are going to make a difference, but we really do need to be on the lookout," Jones stated.
Jones says they haven't received any bags yet.
Those looking to drop off a duffel bag can do so between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday at Functional Connections in Nanticoke.
Efforts to help these students and employees are not only being made by those in the community, but state officials are also taking action.
Congressman Rob Bresnahan says he is working toward a bipartisan solution.
His office provided 28/22 News with this statement:
Congressman Bresnahan strongly supports the continuation of the work being done at the Keystone Job Corps Center and the Job Corps program as a whole. Keystone plays a significant role in developing the much needed work force in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and it is a priority of his to ensure that will continue into the future. After the news regarding the closure of Job Corps Centers, he immediately started working with his colleagues to work toward a bipartisan solution. He also recently supported an appropriations letter requesting increased funding for Job Corps, including facilities like Keystone.
These centers provide pathways to construction and manufacturing jobs and are a valuable part of maintaining a strong workforce. Rep. Bresnahan met with leadership from Keystone and other Job Corps Centers earlier this year, and he is determined to work with them to keep them open and successful.
Congressman Rob Bresnahan's Office
28/22 News spoke with representative Jamie Walsh on Wednesday, who says he offers his full support to keeping the program open.
The National Job Corps Association, along with other plaintiffs, filed a lawsuit against the US Department of Labor, alleging the department is violating federal law and its own regulations by pausing the Job Corps programs.
28/22 News will bring you the latest on this story as updates become available.
