GARDNER, MA -- March 3, 2021 - Mount Wachusett Community College has been awarded $122,462 for the 2021 Fiscal Year Training Resources and Internship Network (TRAIN) grant program.

The Training Resources and Internship Network (TRAIN) grant program, launched in 2016, is designed to support long-term unemployed, under-employed and new entrant adult workers who seek to enter/reenter the workforce and address this workforce shortage. TRAIN grant funding addresses the needs of adult learners who are new to the state, including immigrants, veterans transitioning to the workforce, previously incarcerated persons, and those with physical and cognitive challenges.

The grant funding will be utilized to provide Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training through the MWCC Adult Education and Training Program. Upon completion, these students will obtain their two-year certifications in CPR and First Aid, AED and sit for the Massachusetts Nurse Aide State Exam.

There will be four cohorts of students in the program, one of which will be an English as a Second Language (ESOL) cohort. The ESOL CNA program offers a unique opportunity that allows students whose first language is not English to train to become CNA’s while simultaneously attending ESOL classes.

The FY21 TRAIN grant program is focused on critical industry sectors--healthcare and information technology--preparing eligible individuals to secure employment, support their families, and contribute to the Commonwealth’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

"We want to thank you for your commitment to providing academic opportunities and increasing workforce readiness for students of all abilities. Through this funding and your continued support, we hope to expand access to high-quality educational opportunities for every adult learner in the Commonwealth" noted Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito in a congratulatory letter.

"We are honored to receive this award. The TRAIN grant will help us to provide eligible adult students the skills and education they need to move into a career which is both rewarding and vital to our community" state James Vander Hooven, President of Mount Wachusett Community College.

The Adult Education and Training Center at Mount Wachusett Community College offers free classes in Adult Basic Education, high school equivalency preparation, and ESOL classes as well as a Transition to College program which helps adult learners move into degree programs.