After Trump's Threat to Shutdown Job Corps, Tester Solicits Stories

After slamming the Administration’s decision and doubling down on his efforts to save Montana’s Anaconda and Trapper Creek Job Corps, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is asking Montana employers and employees to submit stories about their personal experiences with these critical job training programs.

“These two job-training centers have helped connect Montana’s businesses with hundreds of high-skilled workers who are prepared to meet the demands of the 21st-century economy,” Tester said. “If Montana is going to keep up our success, we need a new generation of welders, builders, manufacturers, and laborers to meet the growing needs across our state. That is why I am introducing legislation to block the President from closing Montana’s Job Corps programs, but I need your help. If you are a Job Corps graduate, please share your experiences with President Trump. If you are a Montana business owner who has hired quality workers through the Job Corps, make your voice heard.”

Tester’s bill comes less than a week after the Trump Administration announced a plan to close the Anaconda Job Corps and effectively privatize the Trapper Creek Job Corps by ending its partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and moving it under the purview of the Department of Labor (DOL).

Hours after the Administration’s announcement on May 24, Tester sent a letter to both USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta condemning the decision and vowing to act. He plans to send the stories he collects from Montanans directly to Secretary Perdue, Secretary Acosta, and President Trump.

If you have a story about how either the Anaconda or Trapper Creek Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers helped you build skills, find a job, or hire well-trained employees please fill out the form below.