MANCHESTER, NH – Forty young people will need homes by June 6 after the Trump administration announced it was eliminating the Jobs Corps program nationwide, including Manchester’s on Dunbarton Road. The entire building will officially close on June 30.
Ward 3 Alderman Pat Long on Friday said he had confirmed the news with the mayor.
“From what I hear there are 220 kids there of which 40-plus will be otherwise homeless as of June 6 – and guess who has to take care of that? They become our problem because they are here in Manchester,” Long said.
The city on Friday was reaching out to local churches and college campuses as well as Southern NH Services, scrambling to find places for the students to live.
New Hampshire Job Corps, the $35 million complex on Dunbarton Road providing vocational training for youths, is to be phased out, along with every other center across the country, according to a news releases issued by the U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday, May 29, 2025.
It means that dozens of young people, currently enrolled in the program and living on the Queen City campus, will need to find somewhere to live as of June 6, 2025, about three weeks in advance of when all operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers will “pause.”
“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” said Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “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 U.S. Labor Department said it is “collaborating with state and local workforce partners to assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities.”
On Friday U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan called the closure a “rash decision.”
“This is yet another example of the Trump Administration making abrupt, rash decisions with little regard for the real-world consequences on people. Students at the Job Corps Center are working hard to build better lives for themselves, getting counseling, earning high school diplomas, participating in work-based learning experiences – and the Trump Administration just pulled the rug, and their home, out from under them,” Hassan said.
Job Corps, established as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, is a free residential education and job training program for low-income people between the ages of 16 and 24.
Ten years ago, New Hampshire opened its only Job Corps Center at 943 Dunbarton Road, the last state to do so.
Center Director Stephanie Ashworth when asked Friday about the impending closure said, “No comment.”
Some employees have taken to social media to have their say.
Judy Krassowski, on the New Hampshire Jobs Corps Alumni Facebook page, posted that her employer, Adams & Associates/New Hampshire Job Corps through the US Dept of Labor, gave employees notice on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. that the center will be shuttered as of June 30,2025.
DoL is defunding all privately run Job Corps sites and keeping open 50 operated by the Department of Agriculture supposedly, she wrote. (There are 125 Job Corps Centers nationwide plus 24 Civilian Conservation Centers).
She said it wasn’t “entirely unexpected but nevertheless upsetting because everything has been running well for our NH center, moving invested students forward through their programs, graduating, getting really good jobs in their trades, getting HS Diplomas, certifications through OSHA, FEMA, TABE (assurance that students can read and calculate as adults should be able to do, handle paperwork, directions) and whatnot, so it didn’t make sense that this would indeed happen.”
Krassowski maintained students were being well prepared for the U.S. workforce.
‘My opinion: shuttering a young adult training center where successful students are becoming responsible workers is not a responsible decision. Restructuring, re-evaluating student applications, creating long-term earnest relationships with local, state and regional employers and community colleges, all support NHJC efforts toward increased quality industry and American self-sufficiency.
“Most often, absence of educational services does not affect us until our children are affected. NHJC’s industrial and academic students should not be offered up as governmental financial sacrifice,” Krassowski said.
Gail Cuthbertson, on the same Facebook page, said Trump cut the entire Job Corps program from his budget.
“Roughly 60 people at NH Job Corps will lose their jobs by end of June,” Cuthbertson wrote. “265 young men and women who signed a contract with the US government that would provide them with the opportunity to get training in a trade, get their High School Diploma, and driver’s license while providing them with a safe place to live and eat for up to 2 years as they learned a trade will be gone. That opportunity and safety has been instantly pulled from them with many having no place to go except out into the streets before they learned a trade. These are our young US citizens who trusted their government who promised them this opportunity. Many have come from broken and unsafe homes. Once again those in authority have failed them. This is just one of the 100 plus job corps centers throughout the US.”
Cuthbertson agreed Job Corps has some issues, but said they could be fixed by slimming down some centers and streamlining the training, resulting in lower costs. But instead, Cuthbertson said, Trump just wants “to dump the program.”
“The kids are extremely angry and scared because many once again they will be force back into dangerous living conditions or worse out on the street,” according to Cuthbertson.
Cuthbertson, 65, also will have to find a job which are limited, given their age. “I could retire, but lose a great deal of money because I am not 67. But I am not worried about myself or the young teachers and trade instructors, they can find jobs, it’s the kids without job experiences and no place to live I am concerned about.”
Cuthbertson said maybe Trump “will have a change of heart ( sure that will happen), but doubtful. So I am going to try and help my students find jobs and find a place to live. I will advise them to team up in groups of 3-5 and find employment and share an apartment. Will not be easy.
“I don’t have any hope Trump will re-THINK this cut, because he only cares for himself, his family and the extreme wealthy,” Cuthbertson said.
Executive Councilor John Stephen, in a letter on Friday to Commissioner George Copadis, New Hampshire Department of Employment Security, Commissioner Ken Merrifield of the Department of Labor, and Commissioner Taylor Caswell, Business and Economic Affairs, called for immediate action to protect New Hampshire’s enrollees.
“This vital initiative equips Granite State youth with education, training, and employment opportunities,
fostering skilled, productive adults who strengthen New Hampshire’s economy and communities,” he wrote.
“The Job Corps program builds futures for our young people. It’s imperative we tackle this new challenge head on to find solutions for Granite Staters enrolled in Job Corps.”
He urged swift collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor to secure flexible federal funding to maintain effective Job Corps programs in the state and emphasized the need for robust transition plans to ensure current students are integrated into alternative training, education, or employment pathways.
“Any interruption in these opportunities could be a major setback for students so a robust transition plan is vital to keep them on track, honing their skills to launch successful careers,” Stephen added.
“They’re going after the little guy,” said Alderman Bill Barry. “It’s just so sad, it really is.”
Barry said dozens of people currently are enrolled in the program. “Some of these kids aren’t even going to have a place to live,” he said. “The way I look at it, it’s absolutely terrible what the Trump administration is doing to all the programs that are helping people. In this case, they are young people who are struggling and looking for jobs and careers and this is an outlet for them. It is a great organization and to close it down is so unfortunate. A lot of these kids are from Manchester.”
Barry said he hopes the Governor and congressional delegation will “do something to save it.”
Manchester Ink Link reached out to both U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan but has yet to receive a response. Ink Link also left messages for Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais, but didn’t hear back.
The DoL says its decision aligns with the President’s FY 2026 budget proposal and reflects the Administration’s commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.
About 10 years ago, on Oct. 19, 2015, New Hampshire politicians celebrated the opening of the $35 million complex on Dunbarton Road. Among them were U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, then U.S. Senator now Gov. Kelly Ayotte, then Gov. Maggie Hasson, now U.S. Senator, and then Mayor Gatsas, now Executive Councilor, to name a few.
Students live at the complex while basics are provided including food, clothing, health care and school supplies at an average cost of about $123 per student per day.
The complex comprises seven building including dormitories, a gym/recreation center, movie theater, classrooms, a dining hall, and an administration and wellness center.
It also includes learning centers and equipment to train the qualifying students, 16-24 years of age, who spend an average of eight months to a year there earning a high school diploma or GED while also gaining practical career training.
Job Corps has had its critics, issues and financial challenges. In PY 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 PY 2025.
On April 25, 2025, 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.
It determined the:
- Average Graduation Rate (WIOA Definition): 38.6%
- Average Cost Per Student Per Year: $80,284.65
- Average Total Cost Per Graduate (WIOA Definition): $155,600.74
- Post separation, participants earn $16,695 annually on average.
- Total number of Serious Incident Reports for program year 2023: 14,913 infractions.
- 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
Stephen, in his letter to state officials, requested a thorough investigation into any such incidents in New
Hampshire, with findings shared with the Executive Council and Attorney General.
“Nothing matters more than keeping our students safe,” Stephen declared. “We need to know exactly what’s happening in our centers to protect every enrollee.”
Stephen also called for improvements in cost-effectiveness and program outcomes. While New Hampshire’s cost per student is below the national average of $80,284.65, and its 42.1% graduation rate surpasses the national 38.6%, further progress is needed, he said.
“We can make this program leaner and stronger,” Stephen said. “By cutting
inefficiencies and aligning training with local job markets, we’ll get more students across the finish line and maximize taxpayer value.”
While supporting federal efforts to identify and eliminate wasteful spending, Stephen stressed that New Hampshire’s youth must not be overlooked.
“I back the push to streamline federal programs and root out waste, it’s long overdue,” he said. “But Granite Staters—especially our young people—cannot be left behind in the process.”
Stephen requested a detailed response from the Commissioners outlining actions to secure funding, ensure student safety, and enhance program outcomes, with regular updates on progress. “Our youth are the backbone of New Hampshire’s future,” he concluded.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect that while Job Corps NH building will close as of June 30, students living there must be out by June 6.