Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) and the local community are expected to benefit from Governor Terry McAuliffe’s new grant program designed to ensure workforce credentials are accessible and affordable for Virginians.
The New Economy Workforce Industry Credentials Grant covers several community college training programs within the state at one-third of the normal cost. Twelve of these programs are offered at PHCC, including:
• Health care: certified billing and coding specialist (CBCS), certified nurse aide, medication aide, phlebotomy technician, and clinical medical assistant;
• Information technology: CISCO Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) and CISCO Certified Network Associate;
• Logistics and transportation: commercial driver’s license and work zone flagger;
• Welding and manufacturing: certified production technician, Siemens Automation Fundamentals certificate, and Siemens Mechatronic Systems certification program level 1.
The “pay-for-performance” formula requires students to successfully complete the course and obtain a certification for the grant to be awarded.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for students wanting to receive training in these areas,” said Rhonda Hodges, vice president of Workforce, Economic, and Community Development. “It provides financial support for those who are serious about completing the trainings and wanting to work in these good-paying, high-demand fields.”
The selected career fields require specific credentials but not necessarily a traditional college degree. Research indicates that these workforce credentials are in high demand across Virginia and will be for the foreseeable future.
The company Burning Glass produced a recent report indicating that there were more than 175,000 job vacancies for so-called middle-skill occupations last year in Virginia—the types of jobs that typically require some type of credential. These jobs typically pay more than $28 per hour (or more than $58,500 per year).
For information about enrolling in the trainings at PHCC, Contact Workforce, Economic, and Community Development at (276) 656-0260.
