OBSERVER file photo A rally to save Job Corps filled Stockton Fire Hall last June.

Job Corps centers across upstate New York have received a reprieve. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer announced Tuesday he successfully preserved funding for Job Corps and helping students across America, including thousands in New York, get the skills they need to enter in-demand careers.

“Job Corps is one of the best bang for your buck programs we have to boost our local economies, which is why I fought hard to protect it from Trump’s proposed cuts. I’m proud to announce that, following my advocacy, we have preserved funding for Job Corps, ensuring the continuation of one of America’s largest and most effective workforce training programs,” said Senator Schumer. “Last year, I traveled to Job Corps centers across Upstate NY from Otsego to Orleans County to meet with students, staff, and small business owners whose lives have been changed for the better because of this vital program. Job Corps has thousands upon thousands of success stories helping young people develop skills to find jobs in in-demand fields, and today is a victory for all of them and a testament to their hard work. I will continue standing up for federal programs like Job Corps that support our small businesses and help young New Yorkers find good jobs and thrive.”

Anand Vimalassery, National Job Corps Association Interim President & CEO said, “Job Corps faced unprecedented disruption and uncertainty over the last year. Through it all, Senator Schumer stood by our students and staff in Calicoon, Cassadaga, Glenmont, Medina, New York City, and Oneonta. His leadership is helping ensure young adults in New York continue to have a pathway into the skilled workforce through Job Corps and we’re grateful for his support.”

After hearing about Trump’s proposed cuts, Schumer traveled to Job Corps centers across Upstate New York, from the Iroquois Job Corps center in Orleans County to the Cassadaga Job Corps center in Chautauqua County and the Otsego Job Corps Center, to stand with students, staff, and small business owners and demand we protect this vital pipeline for skilled workers to fill jobs. The just-passed Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education funding bill rejects Trump’s call to eliminate Job Corps and instead provides $1.76 billion in federal funding to keep them open. Schumer also secured language that blocks the closure of Job Corps Centers unless such closures meet specific requirements.

In May, Trump paused operations at Job Corps centers nationwide. Afterward, a federal judge temporarily blocked Trump from shutting down Job Corps centers, and another federal judge said operations must resume until the previous case is resolved. Schumer explained that the Trump administration not only attempted to shut down Job Corps centers, but in his budget request, Trump said he wanted to totally zero out funding for the program, effectively killing the program without needing the approval of federal courts.

In addition to fighting back on Trump’s proposed elimination of funds for Jobs Corps in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill, Schumer led efforts in the Senate to oppose the Trump administration’s destructive and potentially illegal actions like pausing existing funds for the Job Corps centers. Schumer called on U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer to protect Job Corps and demanded answers on these destructive efforts. Thanks to Schumer’s leadership, the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education funding bill rejects Trump’s call to eliminate Job Corps and instead provides $1.76 billion in federal funding – which is consistent with the previous year – to keep them open and includes language to protect against Trump’s efforts to illegally shut down specific centers.

Schumer said Job Corps centers have helped millions of young people ages 16 to 24 finish high school, learn technical skills, and get jobs in in-demand fields such as healthcare and construction. Low-income and at-risk young people have received stable housing and healthcare while developing the skills they need to get good-paying jobs after graduation. Across Upstate NY, centers in Albany, Sullivan, Orleans, Otsego, and Chautauqua Counties serve thousands of young New Yorkers and employ over 500 staff.

“I remember the day President Trump called Job Corps a failure unworthy of American Investment. It felt like he was calling us failures unworthy of investment. That shattered any hope my classmates and I had,” said Oneonta Job Corps Academy graduate Jaylynn Garelick. “But then, Senator Schumer stood up and joined the fight to save Job Corps. Without this program so many lives would’ve been destroyed. Thank you, Senator Schumer, for helping save Job Corps.”

“Thank you, Senator Chuck Schumer, for your advocacy efforts in preserving Job Corps,” said Cassadaga Job Corps graduate Arlene Tariq, LMSW. “This program gave me real opportunity, skills, and direction at a time when I needed it most. Because of Job Corps, I was able to build a foundation for my future that truly changed my life.”