PROVIDENCE – The Exeter Job Corps will shut down by the end of June as part of the U.S. Department of Labor's nationwide "pause" of the free education and vocational training program amid questions surrounding its effectiveness.
The agency announced on May 29 that it will begin a phased pause in operations at contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide by June 30, initiating a transition for students, staff and local communities.
The Exeter Job Corps is a
tuition-free residential program that offers academic education and hands-on career training for young adults from low-income families. The training is in areas such as culinary arts, health care and welding, and the program occupies a 20-acre parcel at the former Ladd School.
Enrollment at Exeter Job Corps Center, located at the site of the former Ladd Center off Route 2, has capacity for 185 students, with rolling admissions throughout the year. The center employs a staff of about 85 and offers vocational training in six trades, a GED program, and two high school diploma programs. Most participants are from Rhode Island or neighboring states.
The Labor Department said the decision follows an internal review of the program’s outcomes and structure and will be carried out in accordance with available funding, the statutory framework established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and congressional notification requirements.
The department said its decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget proposal and reflects the administration’s intention to ensure federal workforce investments deliver results for students and taxpayers.
“Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training and community,” said Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “However, 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 Labor Department said it’s collaborating with state and local workforce partners to assist students in advancing their training and connecting them with education and employment opportunities during the transition.
U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I. panned the closing of the Exeter Job Corps. In a statement released Thursday, Magaziner said the loss would damage pathways to good-paying jobs in Rhode Island.
“We should be expanding access to career and technical education, and this misguided decision is a step in the wrong direction,” Magaziner said.
Sen. Jack Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee, denounced Trump’s Job Corps suspension as counterproductive.
“The Exeter Job Corps Center is a high performing center that helps produce skilled workers in some of the trades we need most, like submarine manufacturing," Reed said. I strongly oppose President Trump’s attempt to dismantle vital resources for young people seeking education and opportunity and I will work to prevent the elimination of Job Corps.
“The Trump Administration's Job Corps pause is putting the economic futures of young people across the country on hold. Students trying to enroll are stuck in limbo. Job Corps offers young people a second chance to complete their high school education, receive technical training, and prepare for a career," Reed said.
The Labor Department said the Job Corps program has faced significant financial problems under its current operating structure. In fiscal 2024, the program operated at a $140 million deficit, requiring the Biden administration to implement a pause in center operations to complete the program year.
The deficit is projected to reach $213 million in fiscal year 2025.
(UPDATES: Adds enrollment numbers at Exeter Job Corps. in 2nd and 3rd paragraphs and comments from Reed in 10th, 11th and 12th paragraphs)
