COMMUNITY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES FAST TRACK EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

…Certified Nursing Assistant Students Will Receive Money for Training So They Can Enter the Workforce Quickly

(Sarasota – June 20, 2006)  A new educational assistance program will provide much needed financial aid to individuals pursuing jobs in the health care field. The Fast Track Educational Assistance Program is designed to help Manatee and Sarasota County residents who have been accepted to Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) classes at the Manatee Technical Institute (MTI) or Sarasota County Technical Institute (SCTI). These students, many of whom are single parents trying to improve their lives through better jobs, can apply for tuition assistance for their CNA training program. Applicants will be chosen based on financial need and an evaluation of their ability to succeed.
 
Since CNA programs at SCTI and MTI are offered multiple times each year and decisions must be made quickly, applications for aid will be accepted by the Community Foundation on a rolling basis. “This new program is so exciting because it offers a realistic chance for people to get the skills they need to earn a decent living wage in the health care industry quickly,” said Mimi Goodwill, scholarship coordinator for the Community Foundation. “When they are trained, they can go right to work and become valuable employees in a hospital or other medical facility where trained personnel are in great demand.”

Applications for the Fast Track Educational Assistance Program are available at SCTI, MTI, Jobs, Etc. and through the Community Foundation online at: www.sarasota-foundation.org or by calling Mimi Goodwill at 941-556-7156. The Community Foundation is located at 2635 Fruitville Road in Sarasota.