December 17, 2013 Kenneth Colangelo

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Tunxis Community College enrollments for non-credit workforce development and continuing education courses grew by 12% this fall, especially for allied health programs that have helped reduce the shortage of health care workers in the state.

Some of the largest increases were in programs that provide training for careers as certified nurse aides, EKG technicians, registered medical assistants, central sterile processing technicians, EMTs, and patient care, phlebotomy, and pharmacy technicians.

“Our credit-free allied health programs are very popular because of their high quality and the fact that they lead to employment in a relatively short period of time,” said David England, Ed.D., dean of institutional effectiveness and outreach. “That’s important in these times of high unemployment and underemployment. Area health care facilities have a lot of respect for our programs and are eager to hire our graduates.”

A number of factors in Connecticut will keep demand for health care workers strong, including new long term care options and a large aging population which is expected to grow by 64% from 2006 to 2030, according to the Connecticut Commission on Aging.

Tunxis Workforce Development & Continuing Education, which has the third largest continuing education enrollment among the Connecticut Community Colleges, is currently accepting registrations for its allied health programs. Classes start in January and February for most programs. To request an application packet and register, please call 860.773.1450. More information is also available on the Tunxis website at tunxis.edu/cehealth.