Trident Workforce Investment Board Prepares One Stop Students for Careers in Healthcare

April 5, 2009 - PRLog -- The Trident One Stop Career System held its 28th graduation ceremony recognizing the 14 students who completed the Community Healthcare Training Program (CHTP) taught at the Trident One Stop Career Center (TOSCC) in North Charleston.  The CHTP is sponsored by the Trident Workforce Investment Board with funding from the Workforce Investment Act.

Jeff Hinman, Workforce Specialist;  Paul L. Connerty, Executive Director, Trident Workforce Investment Board; and Cassandra B. Jamison, Interim One Stop Career System Director, each welcomed the students, congratulated them on their achievements and accomplishments, and encouraged them to continue their education and advancement in the healthcare field.  “The sky is the limit.  Let this be your first step in a long and successful career in healthcare.”

Linda Naert, Marketing Manager for Utopia Home Care was the keynote speaker.  She urged the graduates to be great -- and to possess the following qualities: compassion, commitment, and character.  “You will  make a different in the lives of the people you care for as well as their family and friends.  Remember, you are answering a calling and will touch the lives of many in your career.”  

Tara Watson, a graduate of Class #26, and daughter of a graduate in the current class, spoke on how the program offered her the opportunity to work in a field she enjoys.  She is currently employed at the Villages of Summerville, formerly the Presbyterian Home.  She congratulated the graduates and told them, “you will work with your heart and have many rewards.”

Then the graduates each received their certificate and stethoscope.

Diana Walsh, RN, BHS, MED, CHTP Healthcare Instructor, closed the ceremony by telling the graduates that “I knew you were special on the first day, you were all motivated and ready to work.  May this be the beginning of a long journey in your medical career” and she wished them much success in their careers and personal lives.

After graduation, students take the Nursing Assistant Certification Exam given by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).  Upon successfully passing the exam, they can enter the healthcare field as Certified Nurse Assistants or Patient Care Technicians.  With continued training, Community Healthcare Training Program graduates can become Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses.  

The One Stop staff continues to support CHTP graduates after graduation.  The week after each graduation, the One Stop hosts a Healthcare Career Fair so that area healthcare providers can meet and interview graduates for positions in their facilities.  (The Health Fair for these students was held on Thursday, March 19th at the One Stop Career Center.)

According to TWIB Executive Director Paul L. Connerty, “The Trident Workforce Investment Board’s Community Healthcare Training Program is an exceptional program offering One Stop customers the opportunity to train in preparation for careers in the healthcare field.  As the demand for skilled healthcare professionals continues to grow, this program is designed to provide students with the skills they need to enter the healthcare field.”

More about the Program

Since the inception of the Community Healthcare Training Program, over 430 students have enrolled with over a 92% completion rate.  Of th ose graduates, 81% have gained employment in the Lowcountry medical community.  

In the 9-week course, students are taught basic nursing and personal care skills that include: patient care and hygiene; safety and emergency procedures; infection control; residents rights; feeding methods and elimination procedures; skin care; transferring positioning and turning methods, dressing and ambulating; range of motion exercises; signs and symptoms of common diseases; and how to care for cognitively impaired persons.  They also receive instruction on phlebotomy, blood glucose monitoring, EKG, and CPR certification.

Students that are eligible for the program receive training at no cost with funding from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).  

The mission of the Trident Workforce Investment Board (TWIB) is to develop the region’s workforce by providing high quality workforce development programs and services to its customers. To accomplish this mission it created a market driven and user friendly workforce system investing workforce funding to recruit, prepare, and train workers with the skills needed to support existing industry and attract new industry to the tri-county region.

The TWIB provides funding for the Trident One Stop Career System.  The Trident One Stop Career System is a nationally recognized workforce development system staffed by some of the best trained workforce professionals in the nation.   The Trident One Stop Career Center is located at 1930 Hanahan Road in North Charleston.  Satellite Centers are located in Moncks Corner, Summerville and Charleston.  For more information on available services and programs or to find the center nearest to you, call 843-574-1800 or TTY 711.  An Equal Opportunity Employer Program. Auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities.