EDMONDS — Career Connect Washington has awarded Edmonds College a $220,000 grant to improve access to its patient care technician program.
The grant will fund paid internships at local hospitals, reducing the financial burden for students in need, according to Career Connect.
Career Connect works with schools and employers across the state to offer “meaningful, real-world job experiences to students of all ages, and workers up to 30.”
“These internships will be invaluable to our students and beneficial to healthcare employers,” said Edmonds College President Amit B. Singh. “This grant allows us to provide a work-based experience for our students and opens the door to rewarding careers with some of the top healthcare providers in the region.”
The patient care technician certificate can be completed in as little as nine months. Students receive classroom and lab instruction and hands-on training in simulated healthcare settings.
“We look forward to partnering with local healthcare facilities, tribal partners, and community organizations to bring paid internship opportunities to our program,” said Terri Glazewski, director of the Certified Nursing Assistant programs at Edmonds College. “Our goal is to relieve some of the financial burden for our students while they gain a quality education in healthcare.”
Patient care technicians are employed in medical offices, hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities. They provide patient care under the supervision of nurses and other healthcare professionals. The state Employment Security Department projects an average annual growth rate of 2.4% in the next five years for nursing assistants in Snohomish County and 2% growth in Seattle and King County.
Edmonds College serves 14,000 students each year, including some 900 international students from 60 countries. The average age of students is 30.
For information about the patient care tech program, go to edmonds.edu/patient-care-tech.
For questions, contact terri.glazewski@edmonds.edu.
Janice Podsada: 425-339-3097; jpodsada@heraldnet.com;
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