PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 A federal career training program that gives low-income students a place to live and learn has a new shot at life.<\/p>\n
Job Corps<\/a> offers hands-on training while providing free housing, meals, and education support.<\/p>\n Arizona\u2019s Family<\/a> has previously reported about the Trump administration\u2019s plans to shut down<\/a> Job Corps, but the program\u2019s leaders are fighting back in court with a lawsuit that has reopened enrollment at the Phoenix location. <\/p>\n The Senate Appropriations Committee<\/a> recently approved funding for the program in next year\u2019s budget and that\u2019s good news for the 200 students in Phoenix<\/a>, but they\u2019re not in the clear just yet.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great place to learn,\u201d said Cameron Gustin, a Phoenix Job Corps student.<\/p>\n About 25,000 students ages 16-24 are served at 99 locations across the country and all of them have been at-risk of closure since the end of May when the Trump administration claimed the program is in a financial crisis and has low graduation rates<\/a>. In June, operations were paused<\/a> in Phoenix.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we got told it was shutting down, I felt like it was just another roadbump that I\u2019ve had multiple times in the past, so I was just worried,\u201d said Gustin.<\/p>\n But the National Job Corps Association<\/a> is fighting back in court and a federal judge ordered all centers to stay open<\/a> while the legal battle continues.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite that uncertainty, we\u2019ve stayed on the ground. We\u2019ve asked our students to remain even with all the things that are going on behind the scenes and we are still training. We are still helping and assisting and supporting those students that are still in the program,\u201d said Lalenunat Jones, a human resources manager at Phoenix Job Corps.<\/p>\n The uncertainty has been challenging, especially for young people who come from unstable backgrounds and need consistency to thrive. Before Job Corps, many of the students were homeless.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of us actually were going to become homeless and it scared me to the point where I was just like, how could this be possible? How could they do something like this?\u201d said Loren Tahbo, a Phoenix Job Corps student.<\/p>\n The students Arizona\u2019s Family met say Job Corps has given them a sense of direction, a shot at the life they want, and the confidence to chase their dreams.<\/p>\n \u201cJob Corps is a blessing,\u201d said Tahbo. \u201cIt\u2019s just made my life 100% better.\u201d<\/p>\n Phoenix Job Corps officials want the community to know the center is open and actively recruiting and enrolling new students.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n