Courtesy office of Jared Golden
U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District
Updated: July 2, 2025
Maine's congressional delegation rallies to save Job Corps centers
Maine’s congressional delegation is opposing the recently announced closure of Job Corps centers both in the state and nationwide.
The U.S. Department of Labor has said it plans to begin a “phased pause in operations” at the more than 120 centers across the country. The decision follows an earlier announcement to freeze enrollments in Maine, where there are residential programs in Bangor and Limestone, and outreach and admissions offices in Brewer, Augusta and Portland.
Action on that decision has been held back by U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter of New York, who issued a temporary restraining order June 4 that prohibited the federal government from terminating jobs at the centers, removing students or eliminating the program without congressional authorization.
On June 26, a federal judge temporarily extended a block on the administration’s plan amid a pending lawsuit.
Closures were to have been finalized by June 30.
The Job Corps program assists teens and young adults with skills training to expand employment opportunities. Participants receive housing, meals and health care at no cost.
In a letter to Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, along with U.S. Reps. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, and Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, wrote, “The agency’s decision, which has been temporarily paused by the courts, to dismantle a widely popular, successful program has put hundreds of low-income Mainers at risk.
“The program has provided countless opportunities for low-income students to tap into their true potential and secure good-paying jobs. The job placement rate for the Maine centers is well above the national average, placing students in local healthcare settings, masonry, welding and beyond.”
A statement from Golden’s office says Loring’s Job Corps center has 129 staff members and is one of the largest employers in northern Maine. It enrolls 228 students and opened in 1997, a few years after the closure of the Loring Air Force Base devastated the Limestone region’s economy.
The Penobscot Job Corps has 223 students; 65 students have graduated since July 2024. Of those graduates, 58 have found employment in the military or in higher education, the statement notes, and five have transferred to other centers for advanced training opportunities.
Penobscot is home to the only Advanced Marine Pipefitting training program in Job Corps, which is a feeder program for future Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
A statement from the U.S. Department of Labor about the proposed cut says the decision aligns with the president’s FY 2026 proposed budget, “and reflects the administration’s commitment to ensure federal workforce investments deliver meaningful results for both students and taxpayers.”
U.S. Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer said, “A startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve. We remain committed to ensuring all participants are supported through this transition and connected with the resources they need to succeed as we evaluate the program’s possibilities.”
The department asserts that the program has faced financial challenges. In 2024 it operated at a $140 million deficit and is projected to be in the red by $213 million in 2025.
It also finds that the average annual cost per student is $80,284, while “post separation, participants earn $16,695 annually on average.”
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