DMC Continuing Education offering new and “free” Emergency Medical Responder and Health Care Program using $250,000 TRUE Grant from THECB
Applications for acceptance now being taken for six-month program; students’ completion to serve as pathway to become highly-needed EMTs in Coastal Bend
Article by Melinda Eddleman
For Coastal Bend residents who have considered entering the healthcare industry or want to be part of a patient emergency response team, Del Mar College (DMC) Continuing Education has a new career training opportunity that can get you there. And, it’s free.
Starting later in February, the College will begin a new six-month Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) and Health Care Program, which is designed as a pathway to becoming an in-demand Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). The program requires online application and acceptance, which is now underway.
The EMR and Health Care Program is made possible from a $250,000 Texas Reskilling and Upskilling Through Education (TRUE) Grant awarded to the College by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in mid-December. The grant runs through the end of this year.
This TRUE Grant allows Del Mar College to support our regional healthcare industry partners’ skilled workforce needs by providing career training that uses innovative short-term educational programming developed as a collaboration between Continuing Education and the academic degree program with our Public Service Department. That collaboration makes the Emergency Medical Responder and Health Care Program unique and will provide various exit or ‘off-ramps’ for students upon completion of every credential earned should they need to work while continuing their path to becoming an EMT.
The EMR and Health Care Program is designed for short-term completion and certification and stacks Continuing Education credentials upon the Public Service Department’s requirements for an Associate of Applied Science in Emergency Medical Technician degree. The EMT pathway is listed as a high-demand occupation on both the THECB’s 2024 high demand occupational field list as well as the local Workforce Solutions Coastal Bend’s Targeted Occupation list for 2022-2023.
TRUE Grant funding for the new program allows DMC Continuing Education to cover accepted applicants’ tuition, textbooks and other training materials, uniforms and testing and certification fees. Students are required to follow the course progression and certification exam schedule to successfully complete the program (available on information and application page).
Questions may be directed to DMC Continuing Education at 361-698-1769 or cegrants@delmar.edu or the Public Service Department at mstuive@delmar.edu.
The first accepted cohort will begin with three courses, including CPR for Healthcare Workers on Feb. 19, Medical Terminology on Feb. 20 and Electrocardiography on March 5. All three courses will meet at the College’s Center for Economic Development at 3209 S. Staples, but the program also includes course scheduling on the Windward Campus.
Students will have access to all DMC support services, including professional resume writing services, counseling services, food pantry assistance and participation during industry job fairs. Additionally, program participants who choose to continue their pathway to the College’s EMT degree program will have access to student advisors to explore their financial aid options through DMC Financial Aid Services or Workforce Solutions Coastal Bend for funding.
For individuals interested in applying for the program, eligibility requirements are as follows:
· must be 18 years of age or older,
· must be a U.S. citizen or certified to work in the United States,
· must have a high school diploma/GED or higher education,
· pass a background check,
· pass a drug screen, and
· must be available for an in-person follow-up to provide required documents.
The Coordinating Board’s TRUE Grant Program supports the goals of the state’s strategic plan for higher education, Building a Talent Strong Texas, through the creation, expansion or redesign of workforce education and training credential programs in high-demand occupations. The College’s current TRUE Grant award is the fourth that DMC Continuing Education has received to meet the state’s goals and the in-demand workforce needs across the Coastal Bend.
“This TRUE Grant will have a tremendous impact among our healthcare partners as we meet their skilled workforce needs, along with Coastal Bend communities where residents can benefit from either participating in the EMR and Health Care Program or being served by the professionals Del Mar College produces over this next year,” Dr. Rivera noted.
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.