October 22, 2020
Tallahassee Community College’s Gadsden Center and Sunshine Health are continuing their partnership to provide Gadsden County residents with full scholarships to earn a post-secondary credential in short-term healthcare programs. The programs target individuals interested in becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Home Health Aide, which are in high demand locally, statewide and nationally.
The Gadsden Connect program is a pilot project that launched earlier this year in January with a primary focus of addressing the shortage of healthcare workers by providing scholarships to Gadsden County residents who meet the eligibility criteria for Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide certification programs. The scholarships provided cover the cost of tuition, uniforms and the industry recognized exams. The second cohort finished their CNA program in September and the third CNA cohort started this month. The next Home Health Aide cohort starts in January 2021 and is a four-week program.
“The goal of TCC remains laser focused on meeting the community’s workforce needs,” said Kimberly A. Moore, VP for Workforce Innovation and TCC2WORK. “The partnerships and collaborations forged with the business community is critical to the overall success of our community and state. Sunshine Health is a prime example of a company focused on making communities stronger by investing to create a stronger workforce.”
Recognizing that TCC wants to make an immediate impact, the Nursing Assistant program requires 120 clock hours and the Home Health Aide program requires 75 clock hours, all with a direct path to employment.
For those who are interested in enrolling, there are upcoming virtual information sessions taking place on October 28 and November 18. The link and date for the Virtual Open House events are as follows:
- October 28th - Join Zoom Meeting
https://tccfl.zoom.us/j/98261315718?pwd=cW8wVUhrZk83aEdvc2cvQzZjK3g5QT09
- November 18th - Join Zoom Meeting
https://tccfl.zoom.us/j/93920161614?pwd=RzJ3dlpINXNJbmRmZEk3eTNraTFLQT09
Graduates from the programs, are desired by many healthcare employers in the College’s service area and across Florida. TCC collaborates with employers to get our graduates employed.
Sunshine Health serves more than 1 million Floridians through Medicaid, Marketplace and Medicare Advantage health plans.
To learn more about the programs, contact gadsdencenter@tcc.fl.edu or (850) 558-3620.
• Pictured (L-R) Top Row: Yolanda Forman-Payton (Instructor), and Lori Bouie
Bottom Row: La’Kirrie Robinson, Shondaveah Weatherspoon, and America Martinez-Victoria