Oakton,
Va.,
June 23, 2005—Northern
Virginia Family Service (NVFS)
announced today it is transitioning
one of its Training Futures
sites to help address the
increasing shortage of health
care workers. Starting in
August, the Springfield site
will focus on preparing low-income
adults for better-paying jobs
within the health care industry.
“We
are excited to be a part of
the solution to help the health
care industry find skilled
employees, and we are equally
thrilled to continue assisting
Northern Virginia residents
to start their way on new
promising career paths,” said
NVFS President and CEO Mary
Agee.
Training
Futures brings together low-income
Northern Virginia adults who
yearn for a better life for
their families through better
jobs, and area businesses
that need technology-savvy
administrative staff. For
eight years, NVFS’ award-winning
Training Futures program has
successfully trained hundreds
of entry-level administrative
staff for professional services
firms, law firms, governmental
agencies, professional associations
and small businesses.
Training
Futures enrolls 140 trainees
annually at its two sites.
The program prepares graduates
for a variety of entry-level
office jobs, including administrative
assistant, customer service,
receptionist, accounting clerk
and data entry. Training Futures’
22-week program provides its
graduates with a comprehensive
skill set, including proficiencies
in all Microsoft Office Suite
software products, keyboarding,
customer service, filing,
bookkeeping and business communication.
Trainees consistently achieve
90% graduation rates, 90%
employment success and $5,000/year
immediate wage gains—outcomes
that place this program among
the top-performing workforce
development programs in the
country.
Now,
in partnership with Northern
Virginia Community College’s
(NVCC) Medical Education Campus
and participating health care
employers, Training Futures
will retool its Springfield
training site to help fill
the gap of health care workers.
For example, NVCC will provide
medical terminology training,
which is required for many
entry-level administrative
jobs in health care. The first
class of 35 trainees will
begin the program on Aug.
15. Training Futures will
continue to operate its Tysons
Corner program with its traditional
focus on administrative careers
in business.
Established
in 1924, Northern Virginia
Family Service is a private,
non-profit community service
resource dedicated to helping
individuals and families find
new paths to self-reliance
and brighter futures. Each
year, NVFS helps more than
27,000 people find affordable
housing and health care for
their children, earn a living
wage and much more. For more
information, visit www.nvfs.org.
