Students in the Vernon adult education program’s certified nursing assistant program came together Monday at Rockville High School to meet with their teacher, learn about job opportunities and coaching programs, and to use a virtual reality tool to get a sense of what their work might be like.
VRABE – Vernon Regional Adult Based Education – serves people in 14 communities from Wethersfield to Willington and Griswold by providing high school diploma completion courses, English as a second language courses, citizenship classes and the certified nursing assistant program that prepares students for jobs and continued training at CT State Community College Manchester.
VRABE CNA student Tyresa Brown of Vernon uses a virtual reality program to experience the work of a certified nursing assistant.
VRABE also offers a variety of continuing education courses.
The VRABE CNA students meet via zoom with their instructor, Kathy Tate, but on Monday came together for the first time to meet in person with Tate and other VRABE leaders, including Director Melissa Iles. They reviewed recent lessons and the weekend certification courses in CPR, first aid and use of automated external defibrillators they took with the Ellington ambulance.
“People are here to help you be successful,” Tate told her students. “Reach out. We’re all here for you.”
Students in the CNA program come from both VRABE’s high school competition program and the English as a second language program.
Also attending Monday’s session was staff from The American Job Center’s Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act team, who briefed students on the services they offer, an upcoming job fair and provided the virtual reality opportunity.
The Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act team helps students with resume writing, practice job interviews, online training, computer literacy, on the job training and career coaching.
“This is really what we’re about, providing the resources to help students reach their potential and move into meaning, rewarding careers,” Iles said.
For more information about VRABE’s programs, visit https://www.vrabe.com/