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Editor’s Note: Andrea Martinez-Watson is the Business & Community Liaison/Work-Based Learning Coordinator for the Riverton-based Wind River Job Corps Center.
The effort that began in May 2025 reached a critical milestone as the House passed, and the President signed into law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. This legislation fully funds Job Corps operations through at least June 30, 2027, and establishes new legal restrictions that prevent arbitrary Job Corps campus closures.
This outcome was not accidental. It happened because people showed up and refused to stay silent.
Instructors, staff, students, alumni, advocates, local leaders, parents, and community members across the country took action. They wrote letters, made phone calls, traveled, testified, organized, and spoke out to protect a program that changes lives. Many gave up evenings, weekends, and rest to make sure Job Corps was not quietly dismantled.
In court proceedings over the past year, the federal government acknowledged that only Congress has the authority to determine whether Job Corps continues or is eliminated. With the passage of this law and the President’s signature, Congress has now stated clearly and unequivocally that Job Corps will continue.
Students, staff, community partners, and prospective applicants can feel reassured that Job Corps centers will remain open. While related court cases are ongoing, this legislation significantly strengthens the program’s position. Federal courts in both New York and Washington, D.C. have already ruled that there is no legal distinction between Job Corps campus closures and the so called “pause” in operations attempted by the U.S. Department of Labor last May. This new law makes explicit that the Department of Labor cannot arbitrarily close campuses or drastically reduce program capacity.
Job Corps is an extraordinary program. It changes lives, alters family trajectories, and provides real opportunity when it is needed most. The work taking place inside Job Corps centers every day matters more than many will ever realize.
This victory belongs to everyone who stood up for Job Corps and for the students and communities it serves. In the coming days, we will continue to recognize the collective efforts of thousands of Job Corps students, alumni, staff, and supporters who made this moment possible.
Fear may be a reaction, but courage is a decision. Over the past year, Job Corps students, staff, and communities faced unprecedented uncertainty. They met that moment with courage.
Today, we are grateful.
Andrea Martinez-Watson