At the Urging of Senator Collins, Department of Labor Reverses Decision to Halt Enrollment at Maine Job Corps Centers

The Department of Labor contacted Senator Collins to tell her that both Maine Job Corps Centers will reopen for enrollment.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins tonight announced that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has reversed its decision to halt enrollment of new students at Maine's two Job Corps Centers, the Loring Job Corps Center and the Penobscot Job Corps Center. New enrollments had been halted since April, and the Administration had announced plans to no longer fund the Job Corps program. At the repeated urging of Senator Collins, DOL has reversed its decision, and Job Corps enrollments in the State of Maine will reopen.

"I am so glad that the two Job Corps Centers in Maine-the Loring Job Corps Center and the Penobscot Job Corps Center-are no longer facing closure. In May, I urged Secretary Chavez-DeRemer to reverse the Administration's decision to halt enrollments and told her how important these centers have been to students like Adais Viruet-Torres, who credits the Loring Job Corps Center with changing her life. I will always advocate for these centers that do so much good in Maine and across the country for vulnerable young people," said Senator Collins.

At an Appropriations subcommittee hearing in May, Senator Collins urged Labor Secretary Lori Chavez DeRemer to resume enrollment at Maine's two Job Corps centers and to reverse the Department's proposed elimination of the Job Corps program, and shared the story of Adais Viruet-Torres, a graduate of the Loring Job Corps Center and Husson University who overcame homelessness and now works as a nurse practitioner.

Click HERE to download video of Senator Collins sharing Adais' story and HERE to download photos of Senator Collins and Adais.

In April, Senator Collins sent a letter to Secretary Chavez-DeRemer urging DOL to lift the halt on enrollment at Loring Job Corps Center and Penobscot Job Corps Center.

As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins advanced $1.8 billion for Job Corps in the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which passed the Appropriations Committee by a wide bipartisan margin and now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

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