‘It’s not just a pause’: Cherokee Nation chief slams federal shutdown of Job Corps programs

The sudden and sweeping shutdown of Job Corps programs nationwide has left hundreds of young people and staff in limbo — including nearly 150 students and 97 workers at Talking Leaves Job Corps in Tahlequah, operated by the Cherokee Nation.

Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. says the federal government’s pause on contracts isn’t just disruptive — it’s devastating.

“It’s called a pause, but it seems to effectively be a termination,” Hoskin said. “We’re in the middle of a five-year contract. We’ve been doing this since 1978.”

Job Corps is a federal residential job training program for low-income youth ages 16–24. While its future remains uncertain, Hoskin said the Cherokee Nation is scrambling to relocate students — many of whom have no stable housing to return to — while also urging Congress to act before the infrastructure is lost for good.

Q&A with Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.

Q: What’s been the impact since the Department of Labor’s announcement last week?

Hoskin: “It’s been a whirlwind. We are on a mission at Talking Leaves Job Corps to educate young people. Shifting all of that focus to sending them home is disruptive… and honestly not a model of efficiency.”

Q: Why do you think this is happening now?

Hoskin: “Well, the new federal administration believes it’s not a viable program… If an administration wants to shift or eliminate the program, that’s a debate that should happen in Congress. But this was a unilateral cessation — no consultation, no warning.”

Q: What does this shutdown mean for the Cherokee Nation specifically?

Hoskin: “We’re concerned about Tulsa’s Job Corps, too — even though it’s not our program — because both centers are within the Cherokee Nation reservation. And when the U.S. government takes actions like this, they have a legal obligation to consult with us. That didn’t happen.”

Q: What happens to the students now?

Hoskin: “Right now, fewer than 50 of our students are facing housing insecurity when they leave. In other words, there’s potential homelessness. And we just can’t be a country that does that.”

Q: What’s your message to families and students who are afraid right now?

Hoskin: “Our message is: we care deeply. If their future isn’t at Talking Leaves, we want to help them get to a safe, stable place. More broadly, this country must find a way to offer training and education to young people who might not have any other option. If it’s not Job Corps, it has to be something.”

What the Department of Labor says:

The U.S. Department of Labor says the pause is part of a broader effort to “reimagine” the Job Corps program, citing high costs, safety concerns, and lagging outcomes. 

In a recent report, the agency noted a projected $213 million funding shortfall next year and pointed out that, on average, Job Corps graduates earn just $16,695 annually — despite the government spending more than $80,000 per student.

 “Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life,” said Secretary of Labor 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.”  

Officials say the pause allows time to evaluate how the program can better serve young people in a modern workforce, but did not give a clear timeline for what comes next. 

As of now, all students are expected to vacate Talking Leaves and all other campuses by 5 p.m. on June 13.

On Wednesday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order against eliminating the Job Corps program.

Chief Hoskin issued the following statement after:

“On behalf of Cherokee Nation we applaud the decision of the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York enjoining the United States Department of Labor, nationwide, from “…enforcing, implementing, maintaining or giving effect to the elimination of the Job Corps program…” without Congressional Authorization, as well as stopping other actions which led to the termination of the contracts with Cherokee Nation and approximately 100 other operators of the low income youth job training program across the United States. We applaud the work of the National Job Corps Association in seeking the injunction and the grass roots efforts within Cherokee Nation and across the Country to restore the program. For 61 years Job Corps has served the United States well as part of its mission to provide job training to young people with economic barriers. Cherokee Nation has proudly helped on this mission since 1978. With today’s court action we can focus our efforts back on the education of 150 participants in our 24 7 residential campus in Tahlequah instead of scrambling alongside students and parents to facilitate what was effectively an eviction of low-income students and the termination of their education program. Hopefully, the federal executive administration, Congress, stakeholders including tribal nations, and all Americans can have rational and thoughtful conversations about the future of Job Corps specifically, and job training generally, in the United States. Cherokee Nation will continue to provide a range of career readiness services to its citizens, will continue to operate a Job Corps that ranks in the top 25% nationally, and will be prepared to help forge future partnerships with the federal government to further the cause of job training, particularly for those who face economic barriers. To our Job Corps students, their families, and Job Corps staff, we appreciate your patience and are excited that you can continue pursuing your dreams at Talking Leaves Job Corps. We are relieved that the same is true for Job Corps students across the United States.”