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A judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from shutting down Job Corps, a training program for low-income teens and young adults.
But still, the uncertainty still leaves a lot of young adults enrolled at the Pinellas location in a state of panic.
Delsteva Dorvile has been at Pinellas Job Corps for two months.
She’s already become CPR certified and is close to getting her high school diploma.
But those aren’t the only things she’s gained.
“I made amazing friends, I have an amazing partner. People here are so nice and so caring. They really do care about everything that you do, and they will always be there for you no matter what,” Dorvile told WMNF.
That’s why when she learned about U.S Department of Labor’s efforts to shut down Job Corps across the country, she was devastated.
“I have no family out here, no parents. I came here because this was the last opportunity I had to get my life together, it really scares me that it is going to shut down because, like I said, no family, no housing, no nothing,” Dorvile said.
The program provides free education and career skills for 16 to 24-year-olds, as well as housing and a sense of community.
The Pinellas County location is one of only three in Florida serves around 250 students.
The Labor Department argues the program had a low graduation rate and wasn’t cost-effective, and wants it shut down.
Alyssa came to Job Corps Pinellas after escaping a toxic household.
She says the uncertainty over the future of Job Corps has caused her to change her plans for the future.
“I have to push college back now because of it. I was going to start at the end of this month, and with things being so uncertain and possibly having to go back home, I won’t be able to do college anymore. Which sucks,” Alyssa told WMNF.
And her message for the Trump administration is clear:
“Rethink your decision. You’re affecting a lot of young lives here, and it hurts us,” she said.
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