Video Recorded Prior to COVID-19 Pandemic

These young men and women at the Philadelphia Job Corps Life Science Institute prepare for careers in the healthcare industry.

Some are studying to become certified nursing assistants or CNAs while others are in the medical assistant or MA program. They’re similar but require different skill sets. And now, Philadelphia Job Corps offers a new program to address the needs of the growing healthcare industry.

“Well it’s actually a CNA and an MA combined,” explains instructor Edmund Ross.

The new program is called patient care technician.

“With more hospitals and facilities needing their employees to do more,” says Edmund, “the patient care tech program covers what the healthcare industry needs them to do.”

The program combines CNA and MA, creating a new, highly desired outcome that Edmund says will create a lot of opportunities for graduates.

“Employers will start beating down our doors…They are needing these folks to be able to come and do more. DaVita Dialysis, Hahnemann Hospital, Philadelphia University Hospital.”

Patient care technicians will start at $18 per hour, higher than CNAs and MAs.

“Once you get your foot in the door, once you have a strong foundation, which the patient care technician program does, then you already know the things that you’re looking forward to stepping up in the industry, wanting to become a nurse or wanting to become a clinic site supervisor. Having the foundation at Job Corps preps them and prepares them for the future in the healthcare industry for however far they would like to go.”