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The Pittsburgh Job Corps Center, part of a network of 99 such institutions across the United States, is set to close its doors following a federal decision to halt operations. Managed by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Job Corps program, which has aided low-income and unhoused youth for six decades, is said to be "no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve."

On Thursday, the federal government announced a "pause" in the operations of these centers, which serve individuals aged 16 to 24. The following day, hundreds gathered at the Highland Park campus of the Pittsburgh Job Corps for an emotional meeting where the unwelcome news was delivered. According to Waylon Propst, a 23-year-old student, the atmosphere was heartbreaking. "Staff were crying, students were crying," she recounted. "It was a very, very sad day."

Ms. Propst discovered the Job Corps program during her time in rehabilitation. Faced with the choice between Job Corps or disability, she opted for the former, moving into the campus dormitory to pursue a certified medical assistant certification. She later switched to the college program and began studying information technology at the Community College of Allegheny County. However, with the impending closure, she now faces an uncertain future. "I loved it there, but now I have to cut my college short," she lamented.

The impact of the closure extends beyond the students. The campus currently employs about 180 staff members, all of whom are set to lose their jobs. Carrie Nolan Robson, former community business liaison at the center and current executive director of the Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce, expressed her dismay. "Some of these students have nowhere to go," she said, criticizing the federal decision. Ms. Robson highlighted the comprehensive role the center played in connecting students to jobs with prominent local companies, such as Allegheny Health Network and Turner Construction.

The Department of Labor's analysis of the Job Corps program, released in April, showed concerning metrics, including an average graduation rate of 39% and significant costs exceeding $80,000 per student annually. However, the National Job Corps Association has questioned the validity and context of these figures. Pittsburgh's own data indicated a graduation rate of 50% and a cost per student of approximately $36,000.

As the closure looms, students have taken to social media to voice their distress and seek assistance. One student, Lilith Stroup, aged 25, shared that her college tuition and expenses would only be covered until June 3, putting her academic future in jeopardy. Stroup, who joined Job Corps just before her 24th birthday, had initial aspirations of becoming a certified medical assistant. "It really inspired me to reapply for college," she said, expressing her dismay at the program's abrupt end.