The Vineland Board of Education on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution creating a partnership with Cumberland County College that will enable the school’s Licensed Practical Nurse program to continue operating in collaboration with CCC. The Vineland School District offered the LPN program for 43 years, but a tight budget put the program in jeopardy.
But CCC and Vineland School District officials arrived at a solution for saving the LPN program, and the next class will begin this September with 30 students. By enrolling in a new, 32-credit academic certificate program in Health Science at CCC, the LPN students will be eligible to apply for scholarships and financial aid.
“This is exciting because our partnership benefits the students, the school district and the college,” CCC President Dr. Kenneth Ender said. “And the services provided by the LPN graduates will enhance the quality of life in our community.”
Charles Ottinger, Superintendent of Vineland Public Schools, is also enthusiastic concerning the partnership between the school district and the college. “By working together, we are able to continue with a top-notch LPN program that has a rich history of preparing students to enter an in-demand profession.
“This is another example of how collaboration between the school district and the college can strengthen our workforce in a manner that has broad and significant positive social and economic consequences for our community at large,” Ottinger said.
The LPN students will be encouraged to continue their education, according to Dr. Ender, who added that the Health Science certificate program fits right in with the Career Education Pathways that the college is implementing as part of its 2006 – 2011 Strategic Plan.
For the past two years, CCC faculty and administrators have been working with area educators and community leaders to put in place career education ladders – from 9th grade through the bachelor’s degree level – that would enable residents to effectively prepare for family-sustaining jobs.
The approval at the board’s regular monthly meeting also drew praise from Mrs. Elaine Greenberg, a fierce advocate for the program who is a former board of education member and a graduate of the LPN program.
“I want to thank the board and the college for creating this partnership,” she said. “This is a historic moment, because the program is not only continuing, but is moving to a new level that is probably a better setting for it.”
LPN students who complete the Health Science certificate program will be eligible to take the state LPN licensing exam. They can also apply for the LPN to RN transition program for CCC’s Nursing associate degree program. Or the students may choose to earn a 61-credit associate’s degree in Health Science at CCC. Students who earn associate’s degrees can continue on the career education ladder to earn bachelor’s degrees and beyond at CCC in the Shirlee and Bernard Brown University Center or at universities throughout the region and America.
In addition to LPNs, CCC’s Health Science programs provide degree pathways – and opportunities for career advancement - for people who are certified or licensed in health professions including pharmacy technicians, dental assistants, nurse aides, home health aides, emergency medical technicians, phlebotomists, medical office assistants, radiographers and military-trained health practitioners among other health-related fields.
This year’s LPN program will be taught by Vineland Adult Education teachers and part-time CCC professors at the Gold Key Building located at Elmer Road and the Boulevard in Vineland.