OBSERVER Photo by Greg Bacon Cassadaga Job Corps has returned to in-person learning.

CASSADAGA — All places in the last year have had to adjust and adapt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the regulations and restrictions that come along with it. In many cases, the companies that are forced to change have had to move a lot of their efforts to virtual meetings. One of those places is the Cassadaga Job Corps.

The Job Corps, which has been in Cassadaga since 1964, is a place for students between the ages of 16 and 24 to attend to help them receive technical and academic training and help them prepare for a job later in life. The Job Corps is a no-cost education and training program that is administered by the Department of Labor. It hosts students living both on and off campus, and teaches very hands-on classes and learning. But because of the pandemic, they’ve been forced to change how they operate on the fly.

“We have had to get creative with our instruction and find new ways to engage students in their vocational and academic classrooms, even if the classrooms are virtual,” said Michael Camire, Academy Director of the Cassadaga Job Corps. “All students are now provided with a Chromebook and a Hotspot so they can receive instruction virtually until they return to campus for a mix of in-person and virtual instruction.”

In addition to providing technological upgrades and internet access to those students who need it, the Job Corps has been forced to grow and innovate in other ways. The Job Corps has experienced issues with retaining students and bringing in new students, similar to how traditional schools and colleges have also. But now that they’ve returned to in person learning, the Job Corps does it’s best to ensure their students are working in the safest conditions.

“It has created growth and innovation for the center,” Camire said. “We’ve also received the needed quantities of PPE and we were even provided with an Abbott rapid testing machine thanks to the Department of Labor.”

As all places have had to do, the campus for Cassadaga Job Corps has to adhere to the strictest CDC guidelines. Being a federal facility means they have put a limit on the number of occupants in each room, in addition to requiring everyone to wear masks and surveying every campus visitor to make sure they are feeling well and haven’t traveled. The increased regulations have made the campus reform their programs to accommodate the smaller class sizes.

“We’ve had to provide COVID-19 testing for all staff and students,” Camire said. “We’ve also had to drastically reshape our educational programs to account for the smaller classrooms and the need for virtual instruction.”

But despite how catastrophic the pandemic has been for so many people across the world, there have been some positive developments to come out of it, and that’s no different for the Cassadaga Job Corps. Camire said the way the staff and students have rallied around the difficult circumstances and adapted to their new way of working has been a truly impressive accomplishment.

“I have seen a lot of creativity and resilience come from the pandemic,” Camire said. “The innovation in classrooms, the safety protocols that have been adopted, etc… are all things that may not have come if not for the pandemic. The way our staff and students have rallied to support each other, and help keep each other safe is commendable. I’m always impressed by what our team can accomplish together.

Though the COVID-19 threat level in the Cassadaga community has been higher than some of the other communities Job Corps is in, they are now welcoming new students and have resumed looking for referrals.