The current  student survey contains 49 questions on various aspects of the Job Corps  program, including career development services, interactions between  students and staff, access to alcohol and drugs, and overall satisfaction  with the program. The survey includes 12 questions on students’  perceptions of safety at centers. Job Corps Centers Reported a Variety of Types of Incidents between January 2007 and June 2016, Many of Which Occurred Onsite

		The Most Common Types of Reported Onsite and Offsite Incidents Included Serious Illnesses or Injuries, Assaults, and Drug-Related Incidents

Our preliminary analysis of ETA’s SIRS data shows that Job Corps  centers reported 49,836 safety and security incidents, including those that  occurred both onsite and offsite, from January 1, 2007 through June 30,  2016. During this time period, approximately 539,000 students were  enrolled in the program, according to ETA officials. Most Reported Incidents Occurred Onsite at Job Corps Centers, but the Majority of Reported Deaths Occurred Offsite

Our preliminary analysis showed that from January 1, 2007 through June  30, 2016, 76 percent of the reported safety and security incidents  occurred onsite at Job Corps centers, and 24 percent occurred at offsite  locations (see fig.2). Most Reported Onsite and Offsite Violent Incidents Involved Job Corps Students, and Considerably Fewer Involved Program Staff

Our preliminary analysis showed that from January 1, 2007 through June  30, 2016, most reported violent incidents—specifically assaults,  homicides, and sexual assaults that occurred both onsite and offsite— involved Job Corps students, and considerably fewer of these incidents  involved program staff. Students were victims in 72 percent  of these reported violent incidents, while staff were victims in 8 percent of  these incidents. Each of these reported violent incidents  involved at least one victim or perpetrator who was a Job Corps student  or staff member, but some of these incidents also involved victims or  perpetrators who were not associated with the Job Corps program. Students Generally Reported Feeling Safe, but Reported Feeling Less Safe on Certain Safety and Security Issues

Our preliminary analysis of ETA’s student satisfaction survey data from  March 2007 to March 2017 showed that while students generally reported  feeling safe at Job Corps centers, they reported feeling less safe on  certain safety and security issues. Overall, across all 12 of the safety- related survey questions, an average of 72 percent of students reported  feeling safe during this time period. However, the average percentage of  students who reported feeling safe on each individual survey question  ranged from 44 percent to 91 percent. For example, an average of 44 percent of students reported that they had  never heard students threaten each other, or had not heard such threats  within the last month. The remaining 56 percent of students, on average,  reported hearing such threats at least once in the last month. Throughout the period of  March 2007 through March 2017, the national safety rating remained  above 82 percent, according to ETA data. This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the  United States.
Why GAO Did This Study

The deaths of two Job Corps students in 2015 raised concerns about the safety and security of students in this program. The Job Corps program serves approximately 50,000 students each year at 125 centers nationwide.
Multiple DOL Office of Inspector General (OIG) audits have found deficiencies in the Office of Job Corps' efforts to oversee student safety. ETA and the Office of Job Corps have taken steps to address these concerns, but in March 2017, the DOL OIG raised new safety and security concerns, including some underreporting of incident data, and made related recommendations.
This testimony is based on GAO's ongoing work on these issues and provides preliminary observations on (1) the number and types of reported safety and security incidents involving Job Corps students, and (2) student perceptions of safety at Job Corps centers.
GAO analyzed ETA's reported incident data from January 1, 2007 through June 30, 2016. GAO's preliminary analysis summarizes reported incidents in the aggregate over this time period but the actual number is likely greater. GAO also analyzed student survey data from March 2007 through March 2017, reviewed relevant documentation, and interviewed ETA officials and DOL OIG officials.

What GAO Found

GAO's preliminary analysis of the Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration's (ETA) incident data found that Job Corps centers reported 49,836 safety and security incidents of various types that occurred both onsite and offsite between January 1, 2007 and June 30, 2016. During this time period, approximately 539,000 students were enrolled in the program, according to ETA officials. ETA's Office of Job Corps is responsible for administering the Job Corps program, which is the nation's largest residential, educational, and career and technical training program for low-income youth generally between the ages of 16 and 24. As shown in the figure, the three most common types of reported incidents were serious illnesses or injuries, assaults, and drug-related incidents.
More than three-quarters of the reported incidents occurred onsite at Job Corps centers, and the rest occurred offsite. Most reported violent incidents—specifically assaults, homicides, and sexual assaults that occurred onsite and offsite—involved Job Corps students. For example, students were victims in 72 percent of these reported incidents, while staff were victims in 8 percent, and the remaining incidents involved victims who were not associated with Job Corps.
GAO's preliminary analysis of ETA's student survey data from March 2007 through March 2017 found that students generally reported feeling safe, but they reported feeling less safe with respect to certain issues. The student survey contains 49 questions about students' experiences in the Job Corps program, including 12 questions related to safety at centers. Across all 12 of these safety-related survey questions, an average of 72 percent of students reported feeling safe over this 10-year period. However, the average percentage of students who reported feeling safe on each individual survey question ranged from 44 percent to 91 percent. For example, an average of 44 percent of students reported that they had never heard students threaten each other, or had not heard such threats within the last month. The remaining 56 percent of students, on average, reported hearing such threats at least once in the last month.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is not making recommendations in this testimony but will consider recommendations, as appropriate, when ongoing work is finished. GAO incorporated comments from ETA as appropriate.