NAMPA, Idaho — The Nampa Job Corps Center is welcoming new students again after a federal court ruling temporarily blocked planned closures nationwide, allowing the program to continue providing free career training to young people in Idaho.
Earlier this year, new enrollment at the Nampa campus came to a standstill when background checks for Job Corps programs were put on pause nationwide. The temporary halt prevented the center from accepting new students who needed to pass background checks as part of the enrollment process.
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"We weren't allowed to enroll any new students because they have to be able to pass a background check. And so that just stopped all enrollment," said Traci Jones, director of the Centennial Job Corps.
With background checks now temporarily allowed again, student enrollment has resumed at the campus.
"Which is so exciting because we're able to enroll new students and get them in and get them trained and ready for the workforce," Jones said.
The resumption of enrollment comes after students from across the country filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Labor. A federal judge temporarily blocked many of the planned Job Corps closures while the lawsuit moves forward, preserving programs that offer no-cost housing, meals, academics, and industry training to young people preparing for careers.
The Nampa center provides training in high-demand fields ranging from welding to nursing and computer technology to coding. The facility is one of three centers chosen to pilot a new coding component within the computer program.
"We are one of three centers that were chosen to pilot the coding piece of computer," Jones said.
Recruitment efforts focus on Idaho, with staff visiting schools and job fairs to connect high school students with free career training opportunities. The center's location, just one mile from the College of Western Idaho, allows some students to access specialized classes, expanding their skills and opening additional pathways into the local workforce.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding potential closures, program leaders say students remained committed to their training.
"Our students have been amazing, hanging in there, believing in themselves, not giving up because it's really hard, well, it's really easy to give up, and they didn't," Jones said.
Through the challenges, program leaders maintain their mission has remained consistent: preparing Idaho students for careers and supporting local employers.
"We're here, we're open. We are enrolling new students," Jones said.
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