Kiara Lee visits with residents at the Cadia Healthcare Silverside facility in New Castle County, Delaware. She’s a full-time certified nursing assistant or CNA.

“It feels good,” she explains. “It really does. And I love helping people that can’t take care of themselves.”

Anita Fasick is the director of nursing at the facility and Kiara’s supervisor. She says there’s an industry wide need for CNAs and that they provide valuable services.

“They are at the bedside. They do all of the activities of daily living with our residents. They provide all of the care for them. They feed them, they bathe them, they dress them.”

Kiara got her training at MTC’s Wilmington Job Corps Center.

“I was looking for a career, something stable, something set. And it was the best thing I ever did.”

Anita has been impressed with Kiara’s abilities.

“She’s very positive. She’s great with the residents. She’s calm. She’s very empathetic.”

Job Corps gave Kiara a new career in healthcare. Now she’s focused on the next step: going to college and becoming a nurse.

“Being a CNA is just a start,” says Kiara. “I’m actually starting this summer at Del Tech for my RN.”

Anita says the sky is the limit for young people wanting to excel in the healthcare industry.

“There’s a lot of opportunity for growth. Some of our CNAs move on to become LPNs, licensed nurse practioners. I have about five CNAs right now that were just accepted into the LPN program in the state.”

As for the training Kiara received at Job Corps, Anita says it’s just what they needed in their staff.

“I think that the program is great…I think that the skills that they’re coming in with are great. They have empathy, which is huge for our residents.”