Oneonta Job Corps Will Remain Open During Legal Battle with the Department of Labor

By MONICA CALZOLARI
ONEONTA

Oneonta is one of seven Job Corps sites in New York and one of the more than 120 sites across the United States and Puerto Rico. Job Corps has been in national headlines since April 2025. The Department of Labor tried to close down all of these residential, educational campuses as of June 30, 2025.

Job Corps was created by Congress 60 years ago in 1964. On June 26, a federal court ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by contractors who run Job Corps centers. A national preliminary injunction against the closure of Job Corps campuses was granted by the judge. This ruling allows all campuses to remain open while the litigation process continues. This may take a long time.

Job Corps provides free career training and education for low-income 16- through 24-year-olds. It is a residential program that provides shelter, food, mental health counseling, medical treatment and clothing to wear to job interviews.

On April 25, the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration released the first-ever Job Corps Transparency Report.

The report analyzed the financial performance and operational costs of the most recently available metrics of program year 2023. DOL summarized its overall findings:

• Average Graduation Rate: 38.6 percent
• Average Cost Per Student Per Year: $80,284.65
• Average Total Cost Per Graduate: $155,600.74
• Post separation, participants earn $16,695.00 annually on average

Oneonta Job Corps Academy held a meeting on June 24 at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, which was open to the public. It was advertised by the name “Red, White and Skilled.” No media was allowed to attend this meeting. Ongoing legal proceedings was the reason given.

Meghan Sheehy, associate professor of music education and department co-chair at Hartwick College, attended the June 24 Job Corp event. Sheehy is president of the Oneonta Rotary Club. Their Rotary Fund donated half of the money raised for the breakfast meeting and transportation costs.

“Our Oneonta Job Corps gives so much back to our community, not just in dollars, but in skilled professionals who can stay and fill positions we are in critical need of, like CPNs, LPNs, machinists, tile specialists, and so much more. Job Corps is an asset to our community. We are lucky to have them,” she said.

Dr. Pauline Stamp, a resident of Franklin and a former employee of Oneonta Job Corps, attended the June 24 meeting. She shared highlights of the proceedings.

The pandemic of 2019-2022 caused many campuses to close, which negatively affected enrollments and retention. This was also the case at Job Corps and many other educational institutions.

Jocelyn Plows, business engagement specialist for Oneonta Job Corps Academy, presented statistics from the National Job Corps Association in an attempt to set the record straight about the effects of COVID-19 on graduation rates and costs to operate the program.

She said Job Corps’ graduation rate has been above 60 percent historically. Job Corps costs less than $50,000.00 per student, according to DOL’s report.

Job Corps students were placed in jobs earning an average of $17.13 during 2023, with annualized wages of more than $31,000.00.

To offer some context about the cost of educating young people, Plows said that the graduation rate of four-year college students who graduate within four years is only 49 percent. At an average cost of $38,270.00 per year, the cost per graduate is $312,408.00.

The graduation rate of community college students who graduate two-year programs within three years is 35 percent. At an average cost of $11,884.00 per year, the cost per graduate is $110,717.00.

By comparison, these graduation rates and costs are on par with, or much worse than, that of Job Corps.

Sheehy said that for “every $1.00 spent on Job Corps, $1.91 goes back into our community.”

Stamp, a professor of business at SUNY Delhi, is also strongly in favor of keeping Job Corp open.

She said, “Throughout my career, I have passionately championed vocational training and career preparation. Job Corps stands as a vital component in the machinery that drives our economy forward.”

“As an American institution, it plays a crucial role in bridging economic disparities and creating a more equitable playing field for everyone,” Stamp continued. “The toughest and most rewarding job I ever had was my time spent at Job Corps. I challenge everyone in Oneonta and our surrounding communities to dive deep into the real, factual information about this program—graduation rates, alumni successes, workforce placements, and more.”

According to the national Job Corps website, Job Corps is the nation’s largest free, residential career training and education program for low-income young adults ages 16-24.

Job Corps focuses on preparing its students for high-demand jobs in the following 10 industries: advanced manufacturing, automotive and machine repair, construction, finance and business, health care, homeland security, hospitality, information technology, renewable resources and energy, and transportation.

New York also has Job Corps centers in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Callicoon, Glenmont, Medina and Cassadaga.