Oakton, Va., Feb. 24, 2006— A group of 33 trainees graduated yesterday from Northern Virginia Family Service’s (NVFS) Training Futures and its new health care career program, making them the first cycle to start on new promising career paths within the health care industry.
“Congratulations to all of the trainees who are graduating from this momentous first cycle of the Training Futures program in health care industry careers. These 33 hardworking individuals have learned skills that have prepared them to enter this new workforce and I have no doubt that each one of the trainees will succeed in whatever endeavors they pursue,” said NVFS President and CEO Mary Agee.
The graduation featured Dr. Robert Templin, Jr., president of Northern Virginia Community College and member of the steering committee of NoVaHealthFORCE, as the keynote speaker. Templin noted the tremendous need for trained workers in the health care industry, as well as the opportunities for advancement for those workers. Templin also announced that 10 scholarships would be available for trainees who wish to further their education at the college in the field of medical coding.
NVFS’ Training Futures program enrolls 140 trainees annually at its two sites: Springfield and Tysons Corner. The Springfield site has graduated 18 classes and prepared more than 500 trainees to secure better-paying office jobs, but this is the first cycle that focused on administrative careers within the health care industry. In partnership with Northern Virginia Community College’s Medical Education Campus and participating health care employers, Training Futures retooled its Springfield training site in an effort to help address the increasing shortage of health care workers. The first class of trainees began the 25-week program on Aug. 29. Training Futures continues to operate its Tysons Corner program with its traditional focus on administrative careers in business.
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.
The 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.
