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Senators Durbin, Duckworth, Rep. Shimkus to Labor Department: Golconda Job Corps Closure Should Be Temporary


JobCorps
Source: Wikipedia

WASHINGTON – (ENEWSPF)–August 3, 2017. U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative John Shimkus (R-IL-15) today urged the Department of Labor (DOL) to work with the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service to reopen the Golconda Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in a safe and timely manner.

“Job Corps programs are responsible for providing disconnected young people with a safe environment to develop vocational skills and further their education.  Centers should be held accountable when the safety and well-being of staff, students, and communities are at risk.  At the same time, we should not abandon communities and youth by closing low-performing centers without making a concerted effort to re-open these centers in a way that guarantees safety and a productive learning environment,” the members wrote in a letter to Lenita Jacobs-Simmons, National Director of the Office of Job Corps.  “The decision to suspend operations at the Golconda Job Corps Center has serious consequences for the surrounding region and disconnected youth the Center serves. We hope that DOL and the Forest Service will do everything possible to make sure this closure is temporary.”

DOL recently announced its decision to temporarily close the Golconda Job Corps Center and suspend operations by August 19, 2017.  In their letter, the members pressed DOL for the criteria that must be met in order to re-open the center, as well as details on how DOL will guarantee a smooth transition for youth currently enrolled at the center.

Full text of their letter is available here

Source: http://durbin.senate.gov


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