Driving over the Bay Bridge into San Francisco , the vast, mostly barren compound that’s home to the Treasure Island Job Corps Center doesn’t look like much.

But students gaining certifications in culinary arts, construction, hospitality and other blue-collar careers at the trade school say it has been a lifeline for more than 20 years.

Since 1999, thousands of low-income youth and young adults have gotten high school diplomas and trade certifications while living and working at the federally funded site. Now, more than 350 who were enrolled as of last week are at risk of losing that lifeline in the coming weeks, as the Department of Labor plans to pause operations at Job Corps centers across the country.

“Many of us have nowhere to go,” said Eddie Lopez, 19, one of dozens of students

See Full Page