ECC Offering Health Care Pre-Apprenticeship Program

A new pre-apprenticeship program at East Central College is designed to provide needed job skills to those interested in a career in health care.

The four-month program is provided at no cost and will prepare people to care for clients in long-term care facilities, hospitals and home health agencies. Participants must be 18 years or older at the start of the program.

Classes will be held in the ECC Training Center (ECTC) Sept. 8 through Dec. 20.

For more information or to sign up, contact Gretchen Pettet at Gretchen.Pettet@eastcentral.edu or 636-266-2181. This program is limited to 15 registrations.

Students also will gain skills that area health facilities need for their employees, such as a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification, customer Service, behavioral health review and CPR.

“The curriculum is specifically designed with our area health care facilities in mind.” said Terri Warmack, health care coordinator for ECC’s Center for Workforce Development (CWD).

“At a time when facilities are in desperate need of workers, our program provides the entry level skills and certifications for the pre-apprentice to be successful, as well as helping the area’s facilities start workers at a higher level of competency,” she added.

A key to the program’s success is the engagement and involvement of local employers, such as Sunset Health Care Center, in Union. Once the pre-apprentices finish the program, they will have the opportunity to continue their education into a registered Certified Medication Technician (CMT) apprenticeship program at ECC.

The program is funded as part of a $75,000 grant from the Missouri Office of Workforce Development.