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First ESL/Nursing Assistant Class to Graduate
from MATC
Specialized Curriculum Helps Immigrants
Reclaim Careers and
Prepare for Jobs to Help Fill Local Healthcare Worker Shortage
In May, a small
group of nursing assistant students will be the first class to graduate from
a specialized program at Madison Area Technical College (MATC)
that combines Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training with English as a
Second Language (ESL) instruction. Many of the students hope graduation
from this program
will allow them to return to careers in healthcare left behind when they immigrated
to this country.
For instance, Julieta Estrada, who has years of experience
in general medical, emergency department and maternity unit hospital
rotations,
has not been able
to work in nursing for more than a decade. When Julieta emigrated from Mexico
to the United States 12 years ago, she knew her limited English language skills
made it impossible for her to continue in nursing. Instead, she found satisfying
work in a local manufacturing plant until leaving the company in 2004.
The ESL
CNA curriculum provides the kind of support students like Julieta need. MATC
developed the new specialized curriculum, “Building a Successful Nursing
Assistant Training Program for Limited English Proficient Students,” with
funding from the Southwest Area Health Education Center (SWAHEC).
Julieta and
the other students in her class, who are from countries such as China, Somalia,
Uzbekistan and India, are part of a pilot program started by MATC this
semester to increase students’ knowledge and use of occupation-specific
English before starting the CNA program. The supplemental ESL program offered
in tandem with the college’s regular CNA program is designed to improve
students’ English language fluency, general academic skills and cultural
awareness.
“The 11-week program, three weeks longer than our traditional CNA program,
provides students the additional instruction and support needed to reinforce
class material and to develop test-taking skills
and hands-on job requirements,” says MATC’s associate dean of nursing,
Marilyn Rinehart. After completing an intensive three-week English session, the
students join traditional nursing assistant
classes, which include classroom instruction, a skills lab and clinical experience
in a healthcare facility. During the traditional course, the students with
limited English skills also meet once a week for supplemental English academic
support.
Rinehart
expects about 10 students to graduate from the two ESL CNA pilot sessions held
this semester. Nursing assistants work in nursing homes, hospitals, home
health agencies, hospices and homes for the developmentally disabled. They
must master communication, basic nursing and personal care skills,
attention to client’s
rights and the care of patients with dementias.
“As CNA graduates, they will be eligible to take the state exam and to
work in local healthcare settings,” Rinehart explains. “We hope this
is just the first step for many of them. Their training and work as CNAs, coupled
with their improved English skills, can open the door for advanced education
leading to certifications for more skilled and higher paying jobs in nursing,
such as LPN or RN, or other in-demand health occupations.”
With funding through SWAHEC and the Gilson Family
Foundation, a number of collaborators—including
Centro Hispano, Dane County Job Center, Latino Health Council and United Refugee
Services of Wisconsin—joined with MATC in developing the class.
The increasing
number of new immigrants in MATC’s CNA classes mirrors the
growing diversity of the United States. By the year 2020, people of color will
make up almost 50% of the nation’s student population. MATC currently serves
more than 3,500 second language learners, and its Alternative Learning Division,
which offers ESL instruction and support, is often the first point of contact
for minority students with the college.
MATC is one of the largest of the Wisconsin
Technical College System’s
16 colleges and serves about 50,000 individuals annually. It provides a comprehensive
curriculum of technical, liberal arts and science, adult basic education and
life enrichment studies and activities, as well as customized employee training.
MATC provides training in more than 100 career programs. It awards associate
degrees, vocational diplomas and certificates, and offers non-degree courses.
The college serves all or parts of 12 counties located in south-central Wisconsin
and offers instruction through five campuses and various other locations throughout
the district.
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Last
Modified:
May 6, 2005
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