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With the recent decline of this region’s “old”
labor-driven economy (particularly of the agriculture, textile and timber
industries) and the subsequent emergence of an economy largely dependent on information,
many of the workforce training programs and initiatives of the
past are no longer effective or relevant. Shell buildings,
four-lane highways, and industrial park deals alone are not
sufficient to attract new and growing businesses to Patrick
County. With competition today so vigorous among localities
recruiting new employers and better jobs, our rural County
must find a way to stand out from the pack.
The leadership of the Patrick County
Education Foundation believes that Patrick County’s economic health and future depend
largely on the availability of an educated, skilled and “new
economy-ready” workforce. For this reason, the development of such a desirable
workforce is one of our three Foundation goals.
To accomplish our goal of updating and expanding the
job-skills of the County’s workforce, the
Foundation, in partnership with local leaders, is developing
and implementing programs to enhance the work skills and employment
readiness of the County’s adult citizens.
Since the Foundation began offering courses through
its Workforce Training Program in June 2003, it has provided Patrick County
adults with fifty classes through eight workforce training courses. As of
January 30, 2007, 680 adults have completed Foundation workforce training
classes. Through June 30, 2006, we had invested over $279,000 in improving the
job-skills of Patrick County citizens. All Foundation Workforce Training programs
and courses are available at no cost to Patrick County residents 18 years of age and older.
The three original workforce training courses were:
1. TekAdvantage 1 - A 4-week course to certify
students in basic computer use and applications.
2. Patient Care Assistant
- A 40-hour course to train and certify workers to assist patients who are receiving home health
care with activities of daily living such as grooming, bathing and meal preparation. This course
has been offered in partnership with Team Nurse, Inc., a personal home health care and supplemental
staffing agency serving Patrick County and surrounding areas.
3. Career Readiness Certificate Program
- An 84-hour course that includes the full TekAdvantage 1 module, instruction and certification
in Work Keys® plus additional instruction in career exploration, job-seeking strategies
and appropriate workplace behaviors.
A fourth Workforce Training Program “special” project, the Education Example,
was on-going during 2005. For this project, all of the County's twenty-one elected officials (including
those of the County and the Town of Stuart) were asked to commit to going “back to school” during
the 2005 calendar year. Participating officials agreed to enroll in one educational course during
the year and in exchange, the Foundation would pay up to $500 of their tuition costs. Ninety-five percent
or twenty of the twenty-one officials participated and enrolled in courses that ranged from Leadership Development
to Conversational Spanish.
The Education Example project attracted a great deal of attention from both the media and state leaders.
During a June 2005 visit to Foundation offices by Virginia Governor Mark Warner and Secretary of Education Belle Wheelan,
Governor Warner praised the County’s elected officials for demonstrating their commitment to lifelong learning by enrolling
in classes and leading by example.
A fifth course, Customer Service/Hospitality Services, was offered on a one-time
basis in 2004. This course provided basic customer service training to twenty-two employees of local businesses.
Among our newest training courses introduced since January 2006 are:
1. TekAdvantage 2 - This course represents the next level of training beyond
the original TekAdvantage 1 course. It provides students with advanced-basic training and
certification in Internet use and in Microsoft Excel and Power Point.
2. Certified Nursing Assistant and Basic Medical Terminology
- Both of these courses are being offered through a partnership with R. J. Reynolds Patrick County Memorial
Hospital in Stuart. These courses provide training in critical skill need areas of healthcare.
Graduates of the CNA program, upon successful completion of the Virginia nurse aide competency evaluation,
will be qualified to work as nursing aides/assistants in hospitals, home healthcare agencies, nursing homes
and similar settings. The 8-hour Basic Medical Terminology course is designed for persons already working
in or seeking employment or advancement in medical records, billing or related functional areas in a variety
of healthcare settings.
3. Tourism Ambassador - This program provides training and certification in
tourism-oriented customer service, local history and regional points of interest, and related topics for
employees and owners of the County’s business that serve the traveling public.
The Foundation continues to work with County business and government leaders to identify,
develop and initiate workforce training programs that are responsive to existing and anticipated workforce
needs and demands. During the coming months, the TekAdvantage 1, Career Readiness
Certificate and Personal Care Assistant courses will continue as needed.
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