The program is made possible by a grant from The San Diego Foundation and funding support from San Diego Gas & Electric.
Thanks in part to a $120,000 grant, the Nile Sisters Development Initiative has launched LearnMore, a vocational nurse assistant training program to help underserved communities prepare for in-demand healthcare careers. Funding from the grant expands the program to offer more classes and academic support services to attract and train more students who will go on to provide much-needed healthcare to many San Diegans throughout the County. The additional financial support will also allow LearnMore to track students and provide career training services to ensure all students obtain their California certification and achieves full employment. Already, students from LearnMore’s classes are serving in critical areas in healthcare facilities throughout San Diego County.
The grant was provided by The San Diego Foundation COVID-19 Community Response Fund – in large part due to funding support from San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). To date, SDG&E has donated $2 million to the Fund with plans to contribute an additional million in 2021. With the grant, most students in LearnMore's classes receive tuition assistance or scholarships.
"There are several communities of concern in San Diego that are struggling with unemployment issues created due to the pandemic.” said Eugene "Mitch" Mitchell, SDG&E's vice president of state governmental and external affairs. "Several hospitals and care facilities have a nursing shortage and this program helps match talent to opportunity and offers a career path for those who need these educational resources the most."
Nile Sisters launched the nonprofit career-training school in July of 2020. The program is designed as an accelerated nurse assistant training course for candidates seeking nurse assistant certification by the State of California.
"Everyone is welcome at LearnMore. Our mission is to build a thriving, culturally diverse workforce,” said Elizabeth Lou, Nile Sisters’ founder and executive director “We are especially focused on those in hard-to-reach and underrepresented populations who want to develop new skills for in-demand and rewarding healthcare careers."
The nonprofit’s new facilities are located at 5532 El Cajon Boulevard, in the heart of the communities they serve, including City Heights, College Area and neighboring schools Hoover and Crawford high schools. The diversity of the classes reflects these communities and the program's mission. The most recent class had immigrant students from all over the world, including Nigeria, Myanmar, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Mexico and Latin America.
Current course offerings include three schedules: a 22-day weekday and 44-day weeknight course and a 22-day weekend course. Courses provide 60 theory and lab instruction hours and 100 clinical instruction hours through the program's clinical partners. Anyone looking to enter the workforce quickly or change careers to an in-demand field or needs assistance accessing resources can contact LearnMore at (833) 532-7673 or visit them online at learnmorefast.org.