1964 BY THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ACT. IT’S OPERATED OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND OFFERS FREE EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING TO YOUNG PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 24. IT’S NOT JUST TRAINING. SIMILAR TO COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE JOB CORPS SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ALSO PROVIDE HOUSING TO STUDENTS. IN MAY, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCED IT WOULD BEGIN WHAT IT’S CALLING A PHASED PAUSE OF OPERATIONS AT THE CONTRACTOR OPERATED JOB CORPS SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT’S BEEN MET BY LEGAL ACTION, INCLUDING BY THE NATIONAL JOB CORPS ASSOCIATION. DONNA HAY IS PRESIDENT AND CEO. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN STUDIO. IT’S NICE TO HAVE YOU. MY PLEASURE. SO BEFORE WE GET TO ALL THE LEGAL STUFF, I ACTUALLY WANT TO KIND OF DIVE IN TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE JOB CORPS IS. JOB CORPS IS THE NATION’S LARGEST RESIDENTIAL TRADE SCHOOL. IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1964 BY CONGRESS SPECIFICALLY TO SERVE UNDERSERVED YOUTH. THOSE WHO ARE HOMELESS OR COMING FROM FOSTER CARE OR RESIDING IN POVERTY. AND ITS EXPRESS PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE TRAINING IN ADVANCED SKILLS AND IMPORTANT, IN-DEMAND INDUSTRIES SO THAT THEY CAN SECURE EMPLOYMENT AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS. I THINK IT WAS A SURPRISE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE TO LEARN THAT THERE WAS A HUGE RESIDENTIAL ASPECT TO JOB CORPS. ABSOLUTELY. WHEN CONGRESS ESTABLISHES PROGRAM 60 YEARS AGO, IT EXPRESSLY DESIGNED IT TO HAVE A RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT BECAUSE OF THE TYPES OF STUDENTS WE WANTED TO SERVE AS A NATION. THESE ARE STUDENTS, 20% OF WHOM THOUSANDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TODAY WERE FORMERLY HOMELESS OR IN FOSTER CARE, OR IN SOME OTHER DESPERATE SITUATION. AND SO REALLY CREATING FOR THEM A SAFE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY CAN ACTUALLY LIVE. AND WHERE WE PROVIDE THREE MEALS A DAY, CLOTHING, HEALTHCARE, WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT ENABLE THEM TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THEIR TRADE IS ESSENTIAL TO THE PROGRAM. THERE HAVE BEEN CRITICISMS. A LOT OF THEM FINANCIAL. IN 2024, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SAID. YOU’RE OPERATING AT A DEFICIT OF $140 MILLION. THAT’S CORRECT. I THINK CONTEXT IS VERY IMPORTANT, THOUGH. WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, $140 MILLION DEFICIT IS NOT DUE TO MISMANAGEMENT OF THE PROGRAM, BUT RATHER THE FACT THAT THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN FLAT FUNDED BY CONGRESS FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS. IT’S OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, HIRING FACULTY HAS BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE, PROCURING FOOD AND THE CLOTHING AND THE ITEMS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THE STUDENTS. WHILE THOSE THINGS HAVE BECOME MORE EXPENSIVE, FUNDING HAS NOT INCREASED SO THAT $140 MILLION DEFICIT IS DUE TO CONSISTENT UNDERFUNDING THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE ADDRESSED. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE RESTRAINING ORDER THAT THE NJCAA HAS NOW BROUGHT YOU, I GUESS, ARE PUTTING A HOLD ON THE ADMINISTRATION’S ACTIONS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT’S HAPPENING LEGALLY? ON MAY 29TH, THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD BE PAUSING 99 CAMPUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THAT PAUSE, HOWEVER, WOULD LEAD TO THE PERMANENT DISPLACEMENT OF 20,000 PLUS STUDENTS, AS WELL AS THE FIRING OF ALL STAFF. FURTHER, THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN THAT ALL 20 PLUS THOUSAND STUDENTS, THOUSANDS OF WHOM WERE FORMERLY HOMELESS AND IN FOSTER CARE WITH NO PLACE TO GO, WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM CAMPUSES WITHIN ONE WEEK. AND SO THAT’S WHY WE ACTED SO QUICKLY. THERE SIMPLY WERE STUDENT LIVES AT RISK. SO NOW THERE’S A PAUSE. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? BECAUSE YOU’LL GO TO COURT IN JUST A FEW DAYS. WE DO WE DO. WHAT WE’RE SEEKING IN THAT HEARING IS A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION. IF WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN THE PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION, THEN THE STATUS QUO WOULD BE MAINTAINED, MEANING STUDENTS WOULD STAY ON CAMPUS, STAFF WOULD BE MAINTAINED THROUGH THE REST OF THE LITIGATION. SO THEN ULTIMATELY, WHAT’S YOUR GOAL? WE’RE SEEKING THREE VERY SPECIFIC THINGS. NUMBER ONE, WE WANT ALL OF THOSE JOB CORPS CAMPUSES TO REMAIN OPEN SO THAT STUDENTS HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE WHILE THEY TRAIN THEMSELVES IN THESE IN-DEMAND CAREERS. THERE’S A REASON THAT LARGE NATIONAL COMPANIES LIKE THE SHIPBUILDER HUNTINGTON INGALLS AND JOHNSON AND JOHNSON AND FEDEX AND CVS HIRE STUDENTS TRAINED BY JOB CORPS. IT’S BECAUSE THEY ARE FILLING THE GAP THAT THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE DESPERATELY NEEDS. NUMBER TWO, WE HOPE TO HAVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT REFORM, ABOUT WAYS THAT THERE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE IMPROVEMENTS. AND THE LAST OUTCOME WE WANT TO SEE IS THAT ENROLLMENT BE REOPENED. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS WAITING TO GET IN, AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM THAT ARE 3 MILLION ALUMNI HAVE HAD OVER THE LAST 60 YEARS. DONNA HAY IS THE PRESIDENT AND THE CEO OF THE NATIONAL JOB