The City University of New York was awarded funding through the United States Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program to offer CUNY Career PATH, a three-year program aimed at supporting adult students in career advancement and successful college transition, and building CUNY’s capacity to serve adult workers.

Career PATH will provide academic and English language skills instruction “contextualized” to five industry sectors (Business and Entrepreneurship, Education, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Food and Hospitality) with the goal of engaging adult learners and helping them bypass traditional development education. Strengthened connections between college transition programs, occupational training, and degree programs — bolstered by strong advisement and enhanced student services — will help students progress on each step of their education and career pathway. In the short term, participants can earn industry-recognized credentials and find jobs. In the long term, they can translate their training into college credit and enter degree programs. Eight CUNY colleges are part of the program, which is co-managed by Kingsborough Community College and the University’s Office of Academic Affairs.

Kingsborough Community College CUNY Career PATH Community Health Worker Program includes:

• Hands on training and assistance with earning industry recognized certifications
• Employment readiness services and job placement assistance
• Associate Degree Career PATHS
• Career counseling, college advisement and academic support
• The Community Health Worker Certificate training includes an intensive writing component
• Opportunity to earn up to 12 credits, applicable towards a degree in KCC’s Health, Physical Education & Recreation Department.

Community Health Worker Training will cover the following:

Introduction to Community Health: This course is an introduction to the determinants of health and the relationship between health and human behavior, including cultural, social, psychological and ethical issues which are analyzed for their impact on illness behavior and quality of life (COH 11).

Critical Issues in Community Health: This course examines the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States and the corresponding lifestyle factors that play a crucial role in the causation, management, and prevention of disease. Students will learn about the role of health risk behaviors such as diet, physical activity, and tobacco use in the prevention or management of coronary heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and other major health concerns through reading, writing, library research, student presentations, and class discussion (COH 12).

Community Health Interventions: This course provides a thorough examination of health promotion and disease prevention and management strategies used by community and public health specialists to address community health challenges (e.g., HIV/AIDS, obesity, heart disease, cancers, and other debilitating health conditions) (COH 20).

Concepts of Wellness: This course will focus on topics related to health issues that promote wellness, personal health actions and physical fitness. Students will be provided the opportunity to acquire knowledge and gain an understanding of how lifestyle, attitude, experience and perception influence health behavior and behavior change. This course will use the following dimensions of wellness as its guidelines—Physical, Psychological, Intellectual, environmental, social/Interpersonal and Spiritual Health (HPE 12).

Certifications: Certificate of completion.

Tentative Schedule: Spring 2013: February–May 2013.

Eligibility:

• Adults, preferably 24 or older
• High School Diploma or GED
• Unemployed, or a dislocated or TAA-eligible worker, or a worker at risk of losing their job or seeking career advancement
• Demonstrated academic and /or English language instruction needs
• Desire to go to college
• Legally authorized to work in the United States

If you believe that you meet the eligibility requirements, please call 718-368-5568 to sign up for an information session. You will be asked to bring photo identification, proof of date of birth, HS diploma or GED, and documents demonstrating that you are legally permitted to work in the US (1-9 documents)

Kingsborough Community College is at 2001 Oriental Boulevard, Brooklyn, NY 11235

For more information on free job training programs, please visit Job Search Central online or in person at 188 Madison Avenue and 34th Street.