Webster Parish high school students took advantage of a valuable program this summer to take a step toward employment after graduation.
The Journal will publish a series of stories over the coming updates to highlight the parish’s Jump Start Summer inative. Jump Start empowers school districts, colleges, and businesses to collaborate in providing career courses and workplace experiences to high school students. Jump Start prepares students to continue their education after high school while certifying them for the career fields most likely to lead to high-wage jobs.
For the first update we will take a look at the 17 students who participated in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training.
“We had a huge success and maxed out our numbers,” Dr. Beverly Smith, the district’s Jump Start coordinator, told The Journal during a phone interview last week. “This is the first time we’ve had a full schedule all summer.”
A certified nursing assistant is an important position in any hospital setting. CNAs have many responsibilities that make them an integral part of the patient process in healthcare. Being a CNA can help prepare a person for nursing or healthcare management.
A certified nursing assistant helps patients with direct health care needs, often under the supervision of a nurse. CNAs work directly with patients and nurses, helping with the many physical and complex tasks for patient care.
In addition to credit in their specific pathways, all students received a stipend. “They all put forth a good effort and attendance was wonderful,” Smith said. “This is especially encouraging coming off Covid.”
At the completion of the program, students earn high school Carnegie credit, dual enrollment credit from SUSLA, a stipend, and an opportunity to test for their CNA certification.
“This was another great opportunity for the students of Webster Parish,” Smith said in a Facebook post with enrollees. “Proud of you, young ladies, for doing a great job! Smiles, smiles, and more smiles!”
Students earned clinical experience at Meadowview Health and Rehab Center in Minden.
Louisiana’s Jump Start is the new paradigm for career and technical education (CTE), requiring students to attain an industry-based credential in order to graduate high school. It is the state’s new program for school districts, colleges, and businesses to collaborate in providing career courses and workplace experiences to high school students. Students have the opportunity in high school to earn industry-valued, industry-promulgated credentials in the career fields most likely to lead to high-wage jobs, while preparing them to continue their post-secondary education in 2-year and 4-year colleges and career development.
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