Train to become a paramedic while getting paid

 

Allentown, Pa., November 11, 2019 – Happy National Apprenticeship Week, November 11-17, 2019, #NAW2019! If you interested in getting into the healthcare industry, Cetronia Ambulance Corps is the perfect place for you to start your journey. Cetronia Ambulance Corps designed a four-year program to create a career pathway for unemployed and underemployed residents to become paramedics.

The apprentices initially work for six months as nonemergency paratransit drivers to learn customer service skills and the geographic location of hospitals and healthcare facilities. During this time, they take a noncredit EMT course at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC) and prepare for national EMT certification tests. Once they receive EMT certification, they are paired with paramedics for on-the-job learning and continue to take courses at LCCC.

Apprentices are paid wages from their first day of hire at Cetronia Ambulance Corps. Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds are used to cover the EMT course in the first year. During the second and third years, apprentices use Federal Pell Grants for college credit courses. Cetronia pays for the apprentice’s paramedic education in the fourth year. In that year, the apprentices enroll in paramedic courses and enhance their on-the-job learning training. At the completion of the fourth year, the apprentices take their paramedic national certification exam and receive their national registry certificate as a paramedic. Up to 20 college credits are applied toward an associate degree, and some credits may be applied toward an advanced nursing program.

The program addresses an anticipated national shortage of EMS workers and paramedics as current personnel retire. The anticipated shortage is based on data from Pennsylvania’s Center for Workforce Information and Analysis (CWIA). “It is imperative that we continue to groom the future of the EMS industry. We are very pleased to be able to work with such fine organizations that assist with making connections for us and helping to fund these efforts,” said Larry Wiersch, CEO of Cetronia Ambulance Corps.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Mick O’Hearn at PA CareerLink Lehigh Valley, mohearn@careerlinklv.org or reach out to Cetronia Ambulance Corps’ Director of Human Resources, Shawn McGovern at mcgoverns@cetronia.org.

 

About Cetronia Ambulance Corps:

Cetronia Ambulance Corps is a nonprofit 501c3 organization. Serving our community since 1955, we proudly serve Lynn, South Whitehall, Upper Macungie, Weisenberg and Whitehall townships, as well as portions of Lowhill, Salisbury, Greenwich and Albany Townships, and the Borough of Coplay in Eastern Pennsylvania. Our mission is to be the leader in emergency medical services, transportation and community health resources.

Cetronia Ambulance Corps is one of the largest providers of ambulance services in Eastern Pennsylvania; employing 135 full- and part-time career associates, 20 active volunteers and boasting a total fleet of 41 vehicles, including 19 ambulances, 20 para-transit vehicles, a supervisor’s vehicle, and a special services unit. As the regional leader in High Performance EMS, Cetronia Ambulance Corps fields over 60,000 calls annually, covering an emergency service area that spans across 130 square miles, touching more than 226,000 people, and a non-emergency coverage area that encompasses five counties. Cetronia Ambulance Corps is proud to support the residents of the Greater Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountains and remains dedicated to community involvement, outreach and education in the communities it serves.

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