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A single mother of two young children, Faith Kirkwood had given up on her dream of becoming a nurse.

Faced with a lack of money and time, she thought no options were available to help her finish the required coursework to earn a nursing degree. Then she learned about The Jobs Partnership of Florida’s newest training program, Earn While You Learn.

On Aug. 23 at the Florida Hospital Seventh-day Adventist Church, Kirkwood graduated from the mentoring and job program with a full-time job as a patient care technician at Florida Hospital in Orlando.

“It was such an inspiration to have people believe in you and help you achieve your dreams, especially when you’ve given up on them and don’t believe they are possible,” said Kirkwood, 24, who plans to return to school at Valencia Community College in January to complete prerequisites for a nursing degree and then further her education at Florida Hospital College. “Now I believe in myself and I’m on the way to pursuing my dream of being a registered nurse.”

Earn While You Learn is a collaborative effort between The Jobs Partnership of Florida, Florida Hospital, Orlando Tech, Workforce Central Florida (WCF), Orange County government, and 1-800-Charity Cars. The unique program helps women like Kirkwood pursue a nursing career by training them for positions as patient care technicians at Florida Hospital, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit hospitals. With nearly 2,000 beds, the 7-hospital system cares for more than 1 million patients annually.

In addition to the 12-week training class sponsored by The Jobs Partnership of Florida, a unique collaboration of church, business and community partnerships with innovative approaches to workforce development, Orlando Tech provides eight weeks of technical skills training required for employment in Florida Hospital’s patient care technician role.

During the intense training period, students receive a WCF grant that covers 100 percent of training costs and is a source of income. Orange County Community Action also provides essential recruiting and comprehensive support services such as child care and case management. Some graduates needing transportation receive vehicles donated by 1-800-Charity Cars.

“Many folks in our community have been denied access to meaningful job opportunities for reasons beyond their control,” said Marc Stanakis, executive director of The Jobs Partnership of Florida. “Our vision is to connect the resources of the local church through business and community partnerships so that people are inspired and equipped for success at life and work.”

The Life & Work classes offered in the Earn While You Learn program were modified to specifically prepare participants for a nursing career at Florida Hospital. In addition to the faith-based life skills training taught by local pastors, instructors from Florida Hospital delivered training on the organization’s core values and coached students on ways to succeed at work.

“I’m very proud of all of the students who participated in this program and went through this life-changing transformation,” said Florida Hospital nursing administrator Annette Carter, who developed and implemented the nursing portion of the novel program. “I look forward to working with them at Florida Hospital in their new roles as patient care technicians and I’m excited to welcome them as part of our Florida Hospital family.”



October 2007

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