Airionna Sandoval checks in with a fellow student at the Tongue Point Job Corps Center as they apply what they’ve learned from the center’s painting program. Tandy Sturgeon is the instructor. He knows graduates can find great success in the workplace.

“There’s so many different things that we do in our industry,” Tandy says, “There’s so many different avenues that you can go into, commercial, industrial, residential painting, and all the applications that are in those areas.”

Students learn the various painting techniques and how to use special equipment like lifts. For Airionna, it took some getting used to. She was afraid of heights at first but that faded. But Job Corps has taught Airionna a lot more than overcoming her fear of heights.

“I’ve learned a lot of stuff,” she says, “being on my own, being independent, saving money.”

Her instructor has seen great promise in Airionna.

“She’s come in with a really great attitude and a really good work ethic. And she’s shown a lot of interest in the painting trade.”

Airionna did an internship or work-based learning as it’s called in Job Corps at a nearby company called WCT Marine, where she painted a tugboat.

“When they go on work-based learning,” adds Tandy, “they’re actually working for contractors who are doing actual jobs and they’re learning from people who are out there in the industry.”

She did so well at WCT Marine, the company went the extra mile to help her find a job in her hometown.

“It was a great experience,” says Kevin Sealy, who was Airionna’s supervisor at WCT Marine. “I think that she had a great time. She learned a lot. And actually, I’ve been helping her find placement [a job] with a shipyard in her hometown in California.”

Job Corps was just what Airionna needed.

“It was so great. I loved everybody. Everybody was so nice, positive energy.”