Job Corps Outreach and Admissions

The Department of Labor Office of Job Corps is a civilian sub-agency within the Department of Labor that procures services and infrastructure to support the Job Corps program, which provides education, training, and career services to low-income youth. The Office operates Job Corps centers nationwide and funds contracts to support center operations, facility maintenance, training delivery, and program administration.

Job Corps has awarded 13 federal contracts cumulatively since 2008, with a combined potential value of $184.9 million and $68.6 million obligated to date. Contract volume has declined sharply over the last five years: the Office awarded 3 contracts in 2012, 1 in 2013, 1 in 2015, 1 in 2017, and 1 in 2018. The most recent recorded award closed in December 2018, indicating minimal new procurement activity in recent years. With 8 distinct prime contractors across the portfolio lifetime, the competitive base remains relatively small.

Contract set-asides reflect a mixed structure: 46 percent of awards carry no set-aside designation, 38 percent are small-business set-asides (including SBA Small Business), and 15 percent are 8(a) sole-source awards. The competitive concentration among primes cannot be characterized from the available data; the portfolio lacks sufficient recent award records and value breakdowns to identify dominant contractors or competitive trends.

No recent contract opportunities are recorded against the Office of Job Corps or its descendant offices. Given the minimal award activity since 2018 and the absence of active solicitations, business development professionals should monitor the Office for future solicitation activity but should not expect near-term contract opportunities under current market conditions. Any pursuit would require validation of current procurement intent through direct contact with the Office.