Little Rock shelters see an uptick amid Job Corps pause
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The national pause on Job Corps Centers came earlier than June 30th, leaving some students who lived on the Little Rock campus with no place to go.
William Holloway, director of The Compassion Center, says it feels like a rug has been pulled out from under many youths at a bad time.
'There was a large number of people that used that facility, and they counted on it,' Holloway said.
Job Corps closing hits home with Little Rock families
He says the center has also been seeing an increase in youth since the Job Corps closed.
'Well, we're seeing a lot of people around 18 years of age coming in and we're seeing maybe 10 to 15 extra people that we had not normally seen,' Holloway said.
Holloway says he's always happy to lend a helping hand, but is saddened to see so many youths at once.
'It's bad enough when your family abandons you, but when your education abandons you also, you've got a problem,' Holloway said.
The U.S Department of Labor released the Job Corps Transparency Report in April, which found that throughout the Job Corps, a 38.6% graduation rate nationally, along with high numbers in violence, drug use, and sexual assaults.
The compassion center has been working to fill in the gap left by the pause with jobs, but outside of the resources the center provides, Holloway says he has a bigger concern.
'What worries me is some of them are only 18 to 19 years old,' Holloway said. 'Where are they going to end up in the next 4 to 5 years?'
Labor Department suspends Job Corps centers operations, drawing bipartisan pushback
The U.S Department of Labor said they are working with state and local workforce partners to assist current students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities.
The reason for the early pause still hasn't been said.
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