Job Corps Centers Reported Nearly 14,000 Incidents of Various Types during Program Year 2016, Which Mainly Occurred Onsite and Involved Recently Enrolled Males under Age 20

		Almost Half of the Reported Onsite and Offsite Incidents Involved Drugs or Assaults

Our analysis of ETA’s data from the Significant Incident Reporting System  (SIRS) showed that Job Corps centers reported 13,673 safety and  security incidents involving students, including those that occurred both  onsite and offsite, in program year 2016. During this time period (July 1,  2016, through June 30, 2017), approximately 79,000 students were  served by the program, according to ETA officials. Drug-related  incidents (29 percent) and assaults (19 percent) accounted for 48 percent  of all reported incidents involving students. Students Generally Reported Feeling Safe; ETA Plans to Create a New, Expanded Survey

		Most Students Reported Feeling Safe, but Fewer Reported Feeling Safe on Selected Questions

Our analysis of ETA’s student satisfaction survey data from program year  2016 showed that while students generally reported feeling safe at Job  Corps centers, a smaller proportion reported feeling safe in certain  situations. On 6 of the 12  safety-related survey questions in program year 2016, at least 70 percent  of responding students indicated that they felt safe (see table 3). Our June 2017 testimony contained similar observations about students’  perceptions of their safety, with students generally reporting that they felt  safe at their Job Corps centers. ETA officials told us that they plan  to administer the new survey nationally by January 2019. ETA Initiated Multiple Actions to Improve Center Safety and Security, but the New Monitoring Strategy Was Implemented Inconsistently and ETA Lacks a Comprehensive Plan

		ETA Initiated Multiple Actions to Improve Center Safety and Security

In 2014, ETA launched multiple actions to improve safety and security at  Job Corps centers in response to DOL OIG recommendations (see table  4). ETA officials agreed that a comprehensive plan is needed, but told us that  limited staff capacity and lack of expertise have hindered their ability to  produce a comprehensive plan. In  the absence of a comprehensive plan for safety and security, ETA risks  the success of its new initiatives because they are not linked in an overall  framework that demonstrates how they are aligned or contribute to goals  for improving center safety and security. DOL concurred with our three recommendations. Appendix I: Additional Information about Our Methodology

The objectives of this review were to examine (1) what is known about the  number and types of reported incidents involving the safety and security  of Job Corps students in program year 2016; (2) what is known about  student perceptions of safety and security at Job Corps centers, and what  steps, if any, is the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) taking  to improve the survey used to collect this information; and (3) the extent  to which ETA has taken steps to address safety and security at Job Corps  centers. In addition, we  interviewed ETA officials, including Office of Job Corps national staff,  Office of Job Corps regional directors, and staff in all six regional offices. While these two site visits are not generalizable to all Job Corps  centers, they provide examples of student and staff experiences with  safety and security. Analysis of Safety and Security Incidents at Job Corps Centers

To determine the number and types of safety and security incidents  reported by Job Corps centers, we analyzed ETA’s incident data for  program year 2016 (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017). Appendix VI: ETA’s Monitoring of Job Corps Centers

The Employment and Training Administration’s (ETA) risk-based  monitoring strategy is designed to identify emerging problems that place a  Job Corps center at-risk for safety and security problems.
Why GAO Did This Study

Deficiencies identified in multiple DOL Inspector General audits since 2009 and two student deaths in 2015 have raised concerns regarding the safety and security of Job Corps students. GAO was asked to review safety and security of students in the Job Corps program. GAO's June 2017 testimony summarized preliminary observations. This report further examines (1) the number and types of reported safety and security incidents involving Job Corps students; (2) student perceptions of their safety at Job Corps centers; and (3) the extent to which ETA has taken steps to address safety and security at Job Corps centers.
GAO analyzed ETA's reported incident data for Job Corps centers from July 1, 2016, through June 30, 2017. GAO also analyzed ETA's student survey data from the same period, reviewed relevant documentation, and interviewed ETA officials at its national office and all six regions. GAO also visited two Job Corps centers that had different operators and at least 100 recent incidents. These two centers are not generalizable to all centers.

What GAO Found

Job Corps centers reported 13,673 safety and security incidents involving students from July 2016 to June 2017, according to GAO's analysis of the Department of Labor's (DOL) Employment and Training Administration's (ETA) data. Most reported incidents occurred onsite and involved recently enrolled male students under age 20. During that time, the program served about 79,000 students at 125 Job Corps centers, according to ETA officials. ETA's Office of Job Corps administers the 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. Drug-related incidents and assaults accounted for 48 percent of all reported incidents (see fig.).
Students generally felt safe at Job Corps centers, yet fewer felt safe in some situations, based on GAO's analysis of ETA's September 2016 and March 2017 Job Corps student satisfaction surveys. At least 70 percent of students reported that they felt safe on half of the 12 safety-related questions in the 49 question survey about their experiences in the Job Corps program; but fewer students reported feeling safe when asked if they were made to feel unimportant or if they heard students threaten each other. ETA plans to administer a new survey nationally by January 2019 that focuses solely on safety and security issues.
ETA has initiated several actions to improve safety and security at Job Corps centers, but insufficient guidance for its monitoring staff and absence of a comprehensive plan for safety and security may put the success of these actions at risk. Among its actions, ETA adopted a new risk-based monitoring strategy to identify emerging problems at the centers. Officials GAO spoke with in five of ETA's regional offices said that the new strategy has improved monitoring, but that more guidance on how to interpret and apply safety and security policies is needed to promote consistency across centers. Also, ETA lacks a comprehensive plan linking its new efforts to an overall safety and security framework. ETA officials told GAO that limited staff capacity and lack of expertise have hindered their efforts in developing such a plan. Without a comprehensive plan, ETA runs the risk that its new efforts will not be successful.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making three recommendations to DOL, including that ETA develop additional monitoring guidance and a comprehensive plan for safety and security. DOL agreed with GAO's three recommendations.