November 2, 2023
From Hocking College
& the Fairfield County Workforce Center
The Hocking College Foundation recently received a grant in the amount of $57,569 from the Marten’s Charitable Trust, administered by the PNC Foundation. The grant was awarded through an application to the Fairfield County Foundation to purchase the required equipment to create a Pre-Nursing Program at the Fairfield County Workforce Center.
The Ohio Governor’s Office of Workforce Transformation has identified nursing as not only an in-demand job field, but as a critical need statewide. This need is especially apparent in and immediately around Fairfield County, given the labor shed ranging between Columbus and further into Appalachian Southeast Ohio. In response, the new healthcare programming through the Workforce Center includes expansion of current phlebotomy and CPR training, addition of pre-nursing curriculum, and creation of pre-nursing and STNA simulation laboratory space.
The Center will focus on short-term certificate and credential programs that can be stacked to lead to degree pathways at Ohio University, Hocking College, or other colleges. It is expected that student enrollment will begin in spring 2024. The program target would be to train up to 120 students annually.
“Throughout Fairfield County, local hospitals, senior living and memory care facilities, home visit care organizations, and organizations that assist with children and young adults with physical disabilities all have immediate needs for basic healthcare providers,” said Rick Szabrak, Fairfield County Economic and Workforce Development Director. “This program will allow us to train students and adults right here in Fairfield County who can help fulfill these local workforce needs.”
“We are thrilled to receive a grant from Marten’s Trust to help get our Pre-Nursing and STNA Program off the ground,” said Jarrod Tutor, Executive Vice President, Hocking College. “The Workforce Center is the perfect site for this program, which focuses on foundational nursing concepts, provides basic theory and hands-on training to support successful entry into patient care roles for high school seniors and unemployed or underemployed adults.”
