Commonwealth University celebrates scholarships and training partnerships

Commonwealth University workforce development (CUWD) continues to partner with businesses and organizations to offer scholarships and training opportunities in various fields.

A partnership with Eagle Ridge Personal Care Home, Mill Hall, offered a certified phlebotomy technician course to five local participants who successfully completed the course and were eligible to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) exam and earn their Phlebotomy Technician certification.

Phlebotomy technicians are critical team members in hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and blood donor centers. As new types of tests are developed and laboratory tech positions grow, it's an especially exciting time to begin a career in this thriving field.

CUWD partnered with Justamere Foundation, Exton, to provide scholarship opportunities to train clinical medical assistants for the region. Twenty-three participants (fall 2023 and spring 2024) at the CU-Lock Haven and CU-Clearfield locations completed the training and sat for their Certified Clinical Medical Assistant examination through the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).

Medical assistants are critical members of healthcare teams in a variety of medical settings, often as the first and last person a patient interacts with, making a lasting impact on the patient experience.

A second partnership with Justamere focused on providing scholarship opportunities to train CDL drivers in the region, assisting five participants in completing and obtaining their CDL training and licensure. SAGE Truck Drive School is the educational partner and the CDL training was held in Bloomsburg.

The Justamere Foundation scholarships were designed to provide funding for non-traditional students seeking a Clinical Medical Assistant certification at one of the Commonwealth University campuses at Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Clearfield or Mansfield. Maximum award is 90% of the financial support for cost of tuition and requires a 10% student match.

The scholarship award criteria focuses on individuals who demonstrate financial need, veterans and non-traditional students.

CU workforce development and the Mansfield Public Safety Institute completed their first Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training in the Lock Haven area. Participants learned how to care for patients at the scene of an incident and while taking patients by ambulance to a hospital. As an EMT in-training, they learned how to assess a patient's condition and manage emergencies such as those related to respiratory, cardiac or trauma incidents.

Thirteen participants successfully completed their training online and participated in hands-on learning and testing opportunities were held at the Lock Haven EMS Station 22, making them eligible to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) examination. As the National EMS certification organization, the National Registry ensures that all EMS clinicians have the knowledge and skills required for competent practice.

CU workforce development also partnered with Keystone Central School District (KCSD) Career and Technology Center (CTC), Mill Hall, to provide CNC pre-apprenticeship training. Through this partnership, five participants from PMF Industries Inc., Williamsport, and FABER Burner, Lock Haven, successfully completed the CNC lathe G and M code programming course.

Participants in the CNC lathe G and M programming course learned basic and intermediate skills including absolute and incremental programming, linear interpolation, drilling with canned cycles and more.

PMF Industries, Inc. and FABER Burner received WEDnetPA funding to send their employees to this CNC Pre-Apprenticeship training.

To find out if your company is eligible for WEDnetPA funding, contact Angie Hardy at anh1227@commonwealthu.edu.

To learn more about the trainings offered through Commonwealth U Workforce Development, visit lockhaven.edu/workforce.