Graduation Day: Graduates of the iCADEMY Prep certified nursing aide training course included Mary Buckalew, Pamela Driver, Jackie Glasgow, Dorothy Guillory, Wendy Guillory, Jennifer Headley, Marilyn Kine, Linda Lee, Richele Lewis, Amy Moody, Lannice “Renee” Peek, Kathy Tracy, Shannon Underwood and Alisha Wilson. They are pictured with Christine McLain and Kay Potter of Jeff State and Debra Sosa of LeCroy Career/Tech.

Fourteen students completed a 90-hour certified nursing assistant course through iCADEMY Prep, a joint venture between Jeff State Community College and LeCroy Career/Tech.

It was the second round of the course, which was funded through a U.S. Department of Labor grant for the purpose of helping dislocated workers either find a job or further their education. A graduation ceremony was held at LeCroy’s campus on Sept. 30.

Jeff State’s role was to write the grant, and LeCroy provided the facilities and instructors for the course. A total of 24 have graduated from the nursing assistant course, and five have completed a welding course since May 2010.

“A majority of the graduates have gone on to find employment, and several have gone on to further their education,” said Debra Sosa, an instructor at LeCroy.

Those who complete Basic Healthcare Level I and II are eligible to take the state exam to become a certified nursing assistant, Sosa said. Ninety hours of the program are dedicated to certified nursing assistant training, but there is more to iCADEMY Prep than training in a specific field.

Participants took 20-hour courses each in healthcare math, medical terminology, and anatomy and physiology. They spent 10 hours learning the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and took courses in basic computer skills and conversational healthcare Spanish, in addition to the 90-hour course.

“During that program they did 16 hours of clinical experience at Chandler Health and Rehab in Alabaster,” Sosa said.

Students also learned job-seeking skills such as how to write a resume, how to market yourself, interviewing techniques and business writing.

For those who were seeking to further their education, the course was a way to gain more confidence and get up-to-speed, said Kay Potter, director of Community and Corporate Education for Jeff State.

“What we find is that a lot of people may want to continue their education but don’t have the skills to do that,” Potter said.

Another certified nursing assistant program will be offered at Jeff State’s Clanton campus after Christmas, but this program will not be grant-funded.

For more information on this or other programs, call (205) 856-7710.