Following a federal court order, the Shriver Job Corps Center in Devens reopened on Monday, June 9—but by then, most of its students were already gone.
The center’s closure followed a May 29 announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor that it would “pause” all contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide by June 30. Although allowed to operate through the end of the month, Shriver immediately stopped classes and sent home many of its 300 students. State Sen. Jamie Eldridge toured the Shriver Center on June 5 and posted on X the same day that of all enrolled students, only 80 remained. He called the planned closure “cruel, outrageous, and counterproductive to job creation.”
The Devens-based center is one of two in Massachusetts operated by Nevada-based Adams and Associates, which also runs the Grafton Job Corps Center. Its potential closure is a shock to a region that has already lost a major regional employer with the closing of Nashoba Valley Medical Center last August.
Among those affected by the abrupt shutdown were two Harvard residents, Matiullah Kabir, 19, and Mohammad Nazir, 18, both of Mass. Ave. The two had recently earned their high school diplomas through the program and were exploring next steps toward college and employment.
The closure drew immediate outcry from local and state officials, as well as education and workforce advocates. Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Melissa Fetterhoff, a member of two Job Corps advisory committees, has sent letters of concern on behalf of her organization to the Department of Labor.
The Shriver Job Corps Center’s campus on Jackson Road, Devens.(Courtesy photo)
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones issued a joint statement on June 4 calling for the reopening of the Shriver and other state centers. All 11 members of the state’s congressional delegation signed a petition to U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer urging her to reconsider her department’s decision.
Their letter emphasized the center’s importance to both local workforce development and the regional economy. Shriver employs around 120 staff and serves about 450 students each year. It offers nine career training programs, two advanced trade options, a GED pathway, and access to college courses through a partnership with Mount Wachusett Community College. Students also contribute to local service projects with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Loaves and Fishes, and gain work experience with employers including Microsoft, Subaru, Amtrak, and local health care providers.
“The Job Corps program is built on second chances,” the delegation wrote. “We urge you to offer this program the same opportunity to adapt and grow that it has provided its students for the last 60 years.”
The Department of Labor’s decision to close 99 Job Corps centers across the country stems from concerns over cost and performance. According to an April 25 “Job Corps Transparency Report,” the program operated at a $140 million deficit in FY 2024, with projections of a $213 million shortfall in FY 2025. The report claimed that the average graduation rate across Job Corps centers was just 38.6%, while the average cost per student per year exceeded $80,000. Graduates, the report said, earned just $16,695 on average in their first year of employment.
An incomplete picture
However, critics argue that the report paints an incomplete—and outdated—picture. The National Job Corps Association notes that the data reflects performance during the COVID-19 pandemic and does not account for post-pandemic improvements. The association says graduation rates have historically averaged around 60%, that the true cost per student is closer to $50,000, and that graduates earn over $31,000 on average annually.
At the Shriver Center specifically, performance has been notably stronger. The transparency report itself showed that Shriver had the highest graduation rate in the country—nearly 90%. Its cost per student, at approximately $53,000, was significantly lower than the national average, and average postgraduate earnings were around $19,000.
The National Job Corps Association filed a lawsuit on June 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, challenging the Department of Labor’s plan to shut down the 99 contractor-run centers. The court granted a temporary restraining order, allowing centers like Shriver to reopen pending a full hearing scheduled for June 17.
The Job Corps program was established in 1964 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” Open to low-income youth ages 16 to 24, it provides free academic and vocational training, career counseling, and transitional services to help students find stable employment and build futures.
