Summary: The Job Corps, a $1 billion program run by the Department of Labor, has provided services to poor youths for more than 30 years. The Job Corps is intended to prepare youths to either obtain and hold gainful employment, pursue further education or training, or satisfy entry requirements for careers in the Armed Forces. Job Corps participants spend about seven months in the program, and the cost per participant has averaged about $15,000, making the Job Corps the nation's most expensive job training program. The reasons for the high cost include the program's severely disadvantaged participants, who face many barriers to employment, and its comprehensive services provided in a residential setting. This testimony focuses on Job Corps' vocational training services. GAO (1) describes Labor's efforts to ensure the appropriateness of vocational training and its relevance to local labor markets, (2) discusses the extent to which program participants are completing vocational training programs and landing jobs related to that training, and (3) examines the appropriateness of Labor's use of sole-source procurement for much of this training.
