Tenney meets Iroquois Job Corps students, tries bricklaying

Provided photos: Congresswoman Claudia Tenney chats with students at the Iroquois Job Corps during her recent visit.

MEDINA – The Iroquois Job Corps Center welcomed Congresswoman Claudia Tenney to their facility on April 3.

She was accompanied by her staff members, Michael Stadelmaier, district director; George McNerney, regional director; and Zev Siegfeld, legislative assistant.

Tenney spent several hours at the center, visiting with staff and students.

“She truly seemed to enjoy her time here,” said Jeanette Barr, administrative assistant at the Job Corps. “She toured some of our trade buildings and tried her hand at bricklaying. She said she would like to return again at some point.

Tenney talked with the center’s staff instructors about the pre-apprentice programs at Iroquois Job Corps, and the importance of the certifications students earn at Job Corps which assist them in gaining employment after the program in both union and non-union placement. These include carpentry, bricklaying and home builders.

Job Corps leaders discussed with Tenney the eligibility and suitability for their programs and how they can benefit low-income families in need of career training. Success stories of students were shared, along with how they went from high school drop-outs struggling in part-time jobs, homelessness and a lack of family support to getting their high school diploma, obtaining a driver’s license, earning Career Technical Trade certificates, apartment and vehicle searches, and obtainment for relocation, Barr said.

“Students get total life transformation with our program’s assistance, thus helping to break the poverty cycle and improve our communities,” Barr said.

The masonry class at Iroquois Job Corps Center got to meet Congresswoman Claudia Tenney during her visit there last week. Masonry instructor Robert Kelichner, left, watches as Tenney tries her hand at laying a brick.