PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — To address the training and workforce needs related to the effects of COVID-19, the Maine Community College System is adjusting training models to provide more opportunities and offer remote job training programs.
Starting the week of April 12, NMCC will begin enrolling for four online career-training programs, each designed to prepare students for fast access to healthcare career paths.
In deciding which programs to offer, NMCC Assistant Dean of Continuing Education Leah Buck worked with local Aroostook County hospitals and healthcare organizations to determine which positions are in highest demand.
“We recognize that there is a huge need statewide for training to move people towards careers in healthcare,” Buck said.
“There are many job openings right now in technical support roles and these online courses are a way for us to keep moving forward with healthcare training at a time when so many have been furloughed due to COVID-19. These non-credit courses are designed to get people trained and certified quickly, and back in an essential workplace with a new career,” she said.
The training ranges from five to eight and a half weeks, depending on the course of study, and each results in professional certification. Each online program will be available to 10 to 15 students.
The following short-term job training programs will be available: Medical Billing and Coding; Health Records (CEHRS); Certified Inpatient Coder; ICD10 Medical Coding; and Microsoft Office Specialist 2019.
The costs for the courses will be completely covered by a grant through the Maine Quality Centers. To qualify for one of these free online courses, candidates must be underemployed or unemployed Maine residents with a high school diploma.
For more information, contact Buck at 207-768-2768 or lbuck@nmcc.edu.
Submitted by the Development and College Relations Office of Northern Maine Community College.
