In response to the Trump’s administration attempt to eliminate Job Corps, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stood alongside Iroquois Job Corps students and staff at Brunner International’s manufacturing facility on Aug. 5 demanding a stop to these actions.
Job Corps has 120-plus campuses nationwide and provides career training and education for those between age 16 and 24 at no cost to students as it’s fully funded by the federal government.
Through Job Corps, students earn skills and the experience needed to begin a career, an apprenticeship, advance to higher education or join the military.
The Trump administration in May paused operations at Job Corps centers nationwide. Since then a federal judge has temporarily blocked Donald Trump from shutting down Job Corps centers and another federal judge said operations must resume until the previous case is resolved.
Due to the pause made by the Trump administration, the Iroquois Job Corps Center is seeing current enrollment down to 46 despite being able to accommodate up to 225.
Job Corps in upstate NY defended
Schumer demands the GOP, especially NY House Republicans, to stand with their constituents in the fight to save Job Corps and pushing back against the Trump administration.
Last week the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill which funded Job Corps at over $1.76 billion. The House has yet to act.
“Job Corps is one of the best bang-for-your-buck programs we have. Right here in Orleans County, over 200 young New Yorkers a year get the real-world skills they need for in-demand fields like healthcare, construction and manufacturing while helping local employers like Brunner International find and hire skilled workers,” Schumer said. “It is outrageous that Trump wants to take all of that away, close the doors on the Iroquois Job Corps Center and kick these students to the curb.”
Kevon Parson, Iroquois Job Corps graduate, spoke about his experience with Job Corp and how it has helped him earn a successful career as a member of the Buffalo Bricklayer’s union.
“When I enrolled in Job Corps I was seeking a pathway to a good-paying job and I achieved that and so much more with the help of Job Corps,” Parson said. “Beyond my career, Job Corps gave me leadership opportunities that to this day propel me to do more and give more back not just in my job but in my community.”
What does Jobs Corps do for you?
Graduates of the center are often placed with companies like Brunner International, Orchard Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, Hellner Development Company, Barden Building Products and many other employers.
As a part of their education students have also improved public infrastructure in Orleans County such as building a fire station in the Town of Alabama, New York, constructing several community pavilions and gazebos and putting up a Medina middle school playground.
Jennifer Hill-Young, secretary and treasurer of Medina Rotary, said the Iroquois Job Corps Center has been a pillar of service and skill in the community for decades.
“Their students not only learn valuable trades — they put those skills to work by giving back to their community,” Young said. “What truly sets them apart is the pride and heart they bring to every project.”
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Schumer fights plan to shut down Job Corps in NY
Reporting by Kerria Weaver, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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