United States Senator Charles Schumer visited SUNY Jamestown Community College this week to show support for protecting the future of Job Corps.
"We must save Chautauqua County’s Job Corps center, period. No ands, ifs, or buts,” Schumer said during a news conference on the Jamestown Campus. “It’s vital to save this place because it provides a future for our businesses and our kids.”
He added: “Our students get the hands-on skills that they need for jobs in highly in-demand fields,” including carpentry, electrical work, and healthcare.
JCC’s Workforce Development team was recently honored for supporting Cassadaga Job Corps Center students enrolled in college courses after the federal department of labor attempted to shut down Job Corps centers across the country in May.
Award from Cassadaga Job Corps personnel.
Julie Rak, Workforce and Adult Student recruiter, accepted the Community Education Partner Award from the Cassadaga Job Corps on behalf of JCC.
Cassandra Simpson, work-based learning and community liaison for Cassadaga Job Corps, said Rak “is present, involved, and ready to assist our center whenever we need her.”
Rak, who attends regular community relations meetings and job fairs at the Cassadaga center, was the recipient of the Job Corps Employer and Community Partner Award in October.
Simpson said that Cassadaga Job Corps was informed on May 29 that students would have to leave the center and staff would lose their jobs by June 30.
“We knew if we had to send out our JCC students they would receive an incomplete for the semester and be ineligible for future funding for college,” Simpson said.
Simpson shared that JCC agreed to move students into its Jamestown Campus housing at a discounted rate so they could continue with their classes.
“They wanted to ensure our students maintained their opportunity and were given a fighting chance,” Simpson said. “JCC stood out as a community education partner by maintaining flexibility with our organization in these uncertain times.”
Although a federal injunction has temporarily halted the closing of Job Corps centers, the future of the program remains in doubt.
JCC and Cassadaga Job Corps continue to enroll students in their joint licensed practical nursing program. The program is approved by the State University of New York and the New York State Department of Education.
During Schumer’s visit, Daniel DeMarte, JCC’s president, said the partnered LPN program “offers Job Corps students a pathway to a meaningful in-demand career while also helping to address local healthcare workforce shortages.”
Simpson shared that the Cassadaga center certified nearly 1,000 healthcare workers over the last 10 years, despite COVID closures. The organization’s goal for the next 10 years is to exceed 1,000 certifications with JCC’s help.
“We are grateful to JCC for pushing forward with our current students and partnering with us to continue to certify healthcare workers to enter the workforce that are so desperately needed,” Simpson said. “We are committed to connecting students to high paying career pathways.”
JCC remains dedicated to building upon its two-decade partnership with Cassadaga Job Corps.
“At JCC,” DeMarte said, “we take great pride in working side by side with organizations that share our goals. By combining our efforts and resources we are building a stronger, more resilient future for the communities we serve.”