EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, MO — The Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center—and 98 other campuses across the country, has received a temporary reprieve, Reuters reports, following a federal court decision that halts the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) plan to phase out Job Corps operations by June 2025.
On June 3, 2025, the National Job Corps Association (NJCA) filed a motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeking to stop the closures announced by the Department of Labor on May 29. By the evening of June 4, local center officials confirmed that the TRO had been granted, meaning the DOL has been ordered to halt enforcement of the planned shutdowns for the time being.
A hearing on the motion is scheduled for June 17, 2025, where the court will further review the Department’s actions and determine whether the pause on operations should remain in place while the legal process unfolds.
“For generations, Job Corps has provided life-changing education and hands-on training to young people looking for a pathway to a better future,” said Donna Hay, President and CEO of the NJCA. “These students are often overcoming significant personal and economic challenges, and Job Corps gives them the ability to gain the skills they need to build meaningful careers.”
The NJCA argued that the abrupt closures would jeopardize the futures of over 20,000 students currently enrolled nationwide, many of whom entered the program from situations of housing insecurity, poverty, or foster care. In addition to the student impact, the motion cited broader economic consequences, particularly for industries like construction, healthcare, shipbuilding, and manufacturing, which rely on Job Corps graduates to fill essential workforce gaps.
“Closing Job Corps campuses would not only jeopardize the lives and futures of tens of thousands of students currently in training, but it would also eliminate a workforce pipeline that many industries depend on,” said Marty Walsh, former U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Local Impact: Excelsior Springs Pauses, But Uncertainty Remains
The restraining order brings temporary relief to the Excelsior Springs Job Corps Center, which had been preparing for a phased shutdown following the May 29 announcement. The local campus employs 194 staff members, trains more than 500 students annually, and has been a fixture in the Excelsior Springs community since 1966.
The center’s deep integration into the city includes student participation in local events, partnerships with the Excelsior Springs School District, and job training programs that feed into local hospitality and healthcare industries. Without intervention, the closure would have disrupted that ecosystem—cutting educational pathways, employment, and federal funding tied to the program.
Local student Corben Tackett, who previously spoke out about the center’s value in the Excelsior Citizen Facebook Group, responded to the original closure news by thanking the community for its support.
“I’m thankful for everyone who showed love and support… I hope there will be another program that offers the same amount of opportunity. Most we can do is hope and pray,” he wrote.
With the court’s ruling, Excelsior Springs stakeholders, students, staff, and city leaders, now look to the June 17 hearing and to Congress.
The National Job Corps Association continues to call on federal lawmakers to protect the program, urging a re-evaluation of the Department of Labor’s findings and encouraging legislative action to preserve a system that many say continues to provide life-changing opportunities for underserved youth across the country.
