Job Corps leaders warn of national closure proposal; Wind River center flags local workforce impact

Leaders of Wind River Job Corps told the Select Committee May 20 that the U.S. Department of Labor’s fiscal‑year‑2026 budget proposal would eliminate Job Corps nationwide and that a pause on new intakes has already left thousands of prospective students in limbo.

Job Corps staff, including the Wind River center’s business engagement coordinator and training instructors, said national data show strong placement rates: the center reported that 85 percent of completers find jobs and that statewide completers average about $19–$23 per hour depending on entry pathway. Staff noted the program places many graduates into apprenticeships, union and nonunion trade jobs and college pathways.

Wind River Job Corps representatives emphasized local economic ties: the center supplies trained workers for construction, heavy‑highway and other projects, supports local resilience and community projects (soccer fields, ramps, concrete work), and works with employers on apprenticeship pipelines for major projects such as the proposed Kemmer nuclear‑adjacent construction. Staff said 50 local jobs are tied to the center and that continuing closure would affect both student opportunities and local employers.

Officials said the Department of Labor paused new enrollments in March and called for an appropriation that would eliminate Job Corps in the FY2026 proposal. Locally, the center said it continues place graduates and run community projects but warned that intake restrictions and an elimination proposal will disrupt the pipeline for apprentices and trade workers in Wyoming.

Ending: committee members and tribal leaders expressed support for the center and encouraged federal legislators to consider Job Corps’ economic and training value; center leaders asked state and local officials to help amplify worker‑development arguments to Wyoming’s congressional delegation.