For Sara Rodgers learning how to take care of other people was a necessity.
“I had a disabled brother I helped take care of when I was little, and then when my mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and eventually was bed-ridden, my dad and I learned how to take care of her,” Rodgers said.
That family experience led Rodgers to decide that she wanted to pursue a career that involved helping and caring for others.
The 24-year-old Roseville resident has been selected as the distinguished graduate of the inaugural Certified Nurse Assistant training program that began earlier this year at Macomb Community College’s South Campus in Warren.
“I am interested in career opportunities, but I knew it had to be in some kind of field where I could help others,” Rodgers said.
The CNA program was created with funding support from the JET-Plus program. JET-Plus, administered by Michigan Works!, is designed to move people quickly into job opportunities by sponsoring short-term training and educational programs. The CNA program provides 128 hours of training – 53 hours beyond the state-required minimum – over the course of six weeks. The first two classes, with 30 total students, will attend a completion ceremony on May 1. Upon completion of the class, students are eligible to take the state test for certification as a nursing assistant.
“The CNA program is a good example of Macomb’s commitment to provide students not only a means to gain access to an entry level position in the short term, but to provide a foundation for future education that can lead to expanded opportunities in fields with long-term promise,” said Dr. Jim Jacobs, president of Macomb Community College. “One of the key reasons we decided to go well beyond the state-required minimum for training in this program is not only to ensure that our students will be highly competitive in the workplace, but will have an additional base of knowledge upon which to build.”
Rodgers said she plans to build upon the skills she has gained in the CNA program by enrolling in for-credit classes at Macomb in the fall, with an eye toward a degree in nursing or a related healthcare field.
As part of the CNA program, Macomb is working with the Macomb County-operated Martha T. Berry Medical Care facility to provide hands-on training experiences for the CNA students. The college is also working with the students to provide job placement assistance.
“The goal is to bring a person in, provide them with all the skills and assistance they need to move into a new job,” said Michelle Valin, CNA program coordinator at the college. “There is a significant demand for CNAs in and around Macomb County, and this program fully prepares students to be able to compete for those jobs.”
The next set of CNA classes begin on May 4. Additional classes begin every eight weeks. More information on the CNA program is available by calling Macomb’s Center for Continuing Education at 586.498.4000, e-mailing continuinged@macomb.edu or on-line at www.macomb.edu/cce. Tuition assistance may be available for those who qualify.
About Macomb Community College
Macomb Community College (www.macomb.edu) is one of the nation’s leading community colleges, providing learning experiences to more than 59,000 students annually. Macomb nationally ranks in the top two percent in the number of associate degrees awarded and as the largest grantor of associate degrees in Michigan. The college’s comprehensive educational programming includes pre-collegiate experiences, university transfer and career preparation programs, bachelor degree completion and graduate degree programs, workforce training, professional education and certification, and continuing education and enrichment opportunities.