A federal court settlement filed Monday, Aug. 10, requires the U.S. Department of Labor to keep the Pinellas County Job Corps Center open, ending the closure threat that had hung over the St. Petersburg campus since May 2025.

The settlement in Cabrera v. Department of Labor, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, requires the agency to fully and unconditionally rescind its May 2025 termination notices and nationwide pause on contractor-operated Job Corps centers and "take no further action to terminate Job Corps operations contracts," according to Bay News 9. All 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide are protected.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and Public Citizen Litigation Group brought the lawsuit on behalf of seven Job Corps students. Aaron Fleisher, senior supervising attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a statement that the suspension was "a critical mistake that threatened the futures of thousands of young people."

St. Petersburg City Council member Corey Givens Jr., who previously worked at the Pinellas center, said the settlement meant more than preserving a program.

"It's more than just Job Corps being saved," Givens said. "Lives are being saved."

The center sits at 500 22nd St. S. in St. Petersburg and serves about 250 to 275 low-income or at-risk young people ages 16 to 24. It provides residential housing, meals and health services along with education and career training.

According to center materials, training fields include carpentry, electrical, facilities maintenance, clinical medical assistant, certified nurse assistant and pharmacy technician. Students also gain on-the-job experience as part of their career preparation.

The Pinellas center has performed above the national average cited by federal officials when they announced the proposed shutdown. Its 2023 graduation rate was nearly 55%, compared with a reported 38% national average for students with a high school diploma, according to a Job Corps transparency report cited by Bay News 9.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer cited the national graduation rate and the program's costs when the department announced the nationwide pause in May 2025, saying Job Corps was "no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve."

Victoria Atwood, a current Pinellas Job Corps student, told Bay News 9 that she was homeless before the program helped give her a path toward opportunities in the medical field and the Navy.

"I was homeless," Atwood said. "I had friends who supported me, but I wanted to find my own way, to make my own way in life. Job Corps allowed me to do that."

Askia Aquil, president of the Pinellas County Job Corps Community Relations Council, said the Labor Department's pause had disrupted the pipeline of new students when it appeared the centers would close. The Pinellas center is now continuously enrolling again.

The Department of Labor referred Bay News 9's request for comment to the Department of Justice, which represents the agency in the case.

Clearwater-area families interested in the program can call 800-733-JOBS (800-733-5627) or visit pinellascounty.jobcorps.gov.