Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal | December 15, 2025 | wbjournal.com FOCUS W O R K F O R C E D E V E L O P M E N T Down, but not out As they fight to remain open, Job Corps centers in Devens and Graon are reeling from the Trump Administration's efforts to shut them down BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor I n late May, Central Massachu- setts' two Job Corps Centers were thrown into turmoil, as word got out that the U.S. Department of Labor was planning to shutter 99 contract-operated centers across the country. Aer news of DOL's shutdown attempt had circulated among Job Corps centers, it was confirmed on May 29 with a press release, which cited what it said were high costs and a startling number of serious incidents at centers as the reason for the move. e sudden announcement and the pace at which DOL was attempting the closures upended Job Corps Centers in Graon and Devens, according to those in around the centers who spoke to WBJ, as well as alumni and elected officials speaking at a press conference organized by elected officials in June. e move was presented as a tempo- rary closure but cited President Donald Trump's budget proposal, which called for the program to be permanently eliminated. If successful, Trump's efforts would end a program launched in 1964 to tackle high youth unemployment while creating workers for various trades. e program can serve as a lifeline for young adults from disadvantaged backgrounds and are otherwise at risk of falling through the cracks, said Jeannie Hebert, president and CEO of the Black- stone Valley Chamber of Commerce, who has worked closely with the Graon center over the years. e shutdown attempt had a signifi- cant negative im- pact on the center's ability to operate, she said. "It was criminal to treat students that work so hard and really value the program that way," Hebert said in a Dec. 4 inter- view with WBJ. "Also, they lost a lot of the instructors over there, because it was an unstable situation. All around, it was just a terrible thing that didn't have to happen." While two court battles over the shut- down continue, the president has found very few allies on Capitol Hill in support of his efforts, as high-profile Republi- cans and large bipartisan contingents of House and Senate lawmakers are pushing to keep the centers funded. For now, the two centers in Central Massachusetts continue to operate and recover from the impact of Trump's shutdown attempt, and have been able to once again enroll students. With an additional Massachusetts center in Chicopee, the impact of the three locations adds $80 million per year to the Massachusetts economy, accord- ing to a June letter to U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer from the state's congressional delegation. Promi- nent local institutions which have hired Job Corps graduates include Worces- ter-based UMass Memorial Health and Herb Chambers automotive dealerships throughout the state, along with the armed services, which is a common destination for graduates. Harrison Ingles, a 2008 graduate at the Devens site, began attending the center aer losing both his parents at age 18. e program allowed him to go from sleeping in his car to becoming a high school English teacher, he said at the June press conference. "Job Corps is one of the best pro- grams that our country has ever created for expanding economic opportunities and enriching communities," Congress- man Jim McGovern (D-Worcester) said in a Dec. 4 interview with WBJ. "I've visited the center in Graon many times since I've been in Congress. ey've helped young people of all backgrounds, and especially those who have faced Jeannie Hebert, CEO of the Blackstone Valley chamber Congressman Jim McGovern (D-Worcester, left of podium) and Con- gresswoman Lori Trahan (D-Fitchburg, right of podium) stand with Job Corps alumni and supporters during a press conference in June. PHOTOS | ERIC CASEY

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