The Warehouse Arts District Association is hosting a community event on Tuesday, June 10th to support the students, faculty, and staff impacted by the sudden closure of the Pinellas County Job Corps Center.
The Pinellas County center was one of 119 contractor-operated centers around the country that the U.S. Department of Labor announced in late May it was closing, citing low graduation rates, financial deficits, and “serious incident reports.”
Job Corps is a free, residential job training and education program for economically disadvantaged teens and young adults ages 16 to 24. The Pinellas County Job Corps Center in St. Petersburg is just north of the Warehouse Arts District on 22nd Street South.
“This is first and foremost about the students, whose educational journeys were halted without warning,” WADA Executive Director Markus Gottschlich says in a press release. “But the impact extends far beyond their campus. Job Corps has been an engaged and valued neighbor in the Warehouse Arts District—consistently showing up for our community, participating in public events, and encouraging their students to explore the arts and culture that thrive here. Their presence has enriched our district, and it’s a real loss to see not only students disrupted, but also the dedicated faculty and staff—many of whom contribute meaningfully to our city—facing the possibility of leaving the area altogether.”
The community event begins at 6 p.m. at the ArtsXchange Stage, 515 22nd St. S. The event will bring together Job Corps students, community partners, and elected officials. It will include musical performances by students from Pinellas Job Corps art program.
For more information, go to WADA Job Corps community event
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