The Best Trained Caregivers Come From the "Center"
The Employment Skills Center Prepares Nurse Aides for Service in 2012
Session 35 to Begin April 02nd
Many individuals may want to begin health care careers as a Nurse Aide, but may lack the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to successfully complete the clinical training and testing. Our concept is to: recruit new populations of Nurse Aides; provide remedial basic education, preparation for clinical training; improved life and employment skills; coaching throughout clinical training followed by helping participants to attain and retain employment.
Our current Carlisle based Nurse Aide training is in its 7th year of training confident, caring women and men to serve those in need of care in nursing homes, home health situations, hospitals and with hospice programs. In this past year we accepted over 60 candidates for training, most of whom are now working in the healthcare field.
We credit our success rates to the comprehensive preparation given to candidates who enter the program. Our instructional team follows a compassionate yet no nonsense approach to training in basic life skills, including self-esteem and confidence devlopment, communication skills, community and team support and building activities, stress management techniques, managing conflict, study skills and enhanced job search and on the job skills.
Many of our graduates are now a valuable part of nursing homes and health home care services in our area. Our graduates tend to remain on the job for a longer period of time thereby being of added value to the firms that hire them.
Funding for this educative and empowering program is possible due to community grants from the Carlisle Area Health and Wellness Foundation (CAHWF); Citizens Bank Foundation; Perry County Foundation; Wells Foundation; Fogelsonger Foundation; Wachovia Foundation; BJs Foundation; the PA Office of Health Equity and the Whitaker Foundation. All of these amazing partners collaborate for the good of their community through education and full employment!
Skills Taught During Pre-Clinical Training:
- Professional Attitude and Ethics
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- Study Skills and Test Taking Strategies
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- Abuse and Prevention
- Life Skills and Awareness
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- Language and the Profession
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- The Pre-Clinical classes run for 3 weeks followed by 3 weeks of Clinical studies. Those who are successful in the Pre-Clinical course will be recommended for a full HACC scholarship to complete Clinical studies on site at a nursing home.
- The Employment Skills Center continues to monitor and assist students, when needed, to successfully complete their Clinical studies. Our instructor is involved in all aspects of their training and journey to employment.
- Once employed we will continue to work with graduates, as needed, to see that they are applying the skills that they learned in their Pre-Clinical phase to the workplace. We normally continue to receive updates from our new nurse aides for a year or more.
With many alumni having completed our program, there are now graduates serving in nursing homes throughout the region. One local home boasts 16.5% of their staff as having graduated from the Employment Skills Center with numbers growing after every training.
Pre-Clinical classes are held from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Thursday. Clinical classes are held from 7 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Fridays in Carlisle, Camp Hill, Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg.
Procedures for Nurse Aide Candidates:
1. Qualifications
Based on the funding for our Nurse Aide Training Program we accept applications from selected areas covered by the following school districts: Bermudian Springs; Big Spring; Carlisle Area; Cumberland Valley; Shippensburg Area; Suth Middleton; Upper Adams and West Perry. In addition candidates from Harrisburg and Perry are also considered. Candidates from other areas are allowed to test and apply, however a decision on their accptance will not be made until the other areas have first been considered. Candidates are also asked to review a copy of the Qualifications for Pre-Clinical Nurse Aide Training 2013.
2. Application
Once you review this sheet and believe that you still qualify for consideration as a candidate then fill out an Initial Contact Candidate Application. Be sure that all items have been completed and answered. Be sure that all items on the application, including the date, have been filled out accurately.
3. Testing
Candidates are required to take the CASAS test in Reading and Math. This will give evaluators a grade level for consideration. You can come to the Center for testing from Monday - Thursday. The Employment Skills Center is open from 9 am to 4:30 pm. Since the testing takes up to 3 hours candidates will be encouraged to come earlier rather than later. Those candidates who wish to take the CASAS testing upon filing out the Initial Application can do so with the understanding that this is part of an application process and does not secure a place in the class.
4. Interview
When testing and initial application considerations have been completed we will contact those candidates who we wish to interview. We will contact other applicants who leave an e-mail address to let them know that they are not being considered as a candidate.
Candidates selected will be offered a Letter of Agreement that they are expected to abide by to successfully complete the training program.
FUNDING for NURSE AIDE TRAINING
Thanks to generous contributions from local organizations and foundations, The Employment Skills Center is able to offer this training free of charge, to trainees, since 2007. Many thanks to these dedicated funders who believe in our students and this unique training opportunity. They are
- Carlisle Area Health and Wellness Foundation (CAHWF)
- Wells Foundation
- Perry County Foundation
- Citizens Bank Foundation
- Fogelsonger Foundation
- Wachovia Foundation
- BJs Foundation
- Kline Foundation
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