The West Virginia Community and Technical College System collaborated with the Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission to award Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College with a grant to buy a new ambulance.
A new grant has been awarded to Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College which has allowed the school to purchase a new ambulance for educational purposes. The grant was provided to Southern by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Community and Technical College System. The ambulance is a fully equipped International vehicle that will be used by high school seniors as a mobile classroom.
Southern will use the ambulance to simulate how an emergency response unit functions in the real world, which will let students train hands on in an immersive environment as part of the school’s EMT Expansion initiative. The goal of the initiative is to allow high school students access to EMT Basic education, giving them a head start in the growing first responder industry.
In an article posted on Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College’s website, the school’s Director of Emergency Management Services, Mike Smith, spoke about the grant and the impact it will have, saying, “I am so grateful to have this opportunity to bring this program to our local high schools. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to sit for the National Registry EMT exam. Upon passing, they can become certified EMTs and enter the workforce immediately. While most employers require EMTs to be 18, students can earn their certification before reaching that age.”
Starting ranges for EMTs tend to range between $15 and $22 per hour, with a 100% job placement rate. That means that Southern’s EMT Expansion initiative offers a direct route from the classroom to a lucrative career. Students taking part in the program will also earn both high school and college credit through the CTE pathway, giving them the chance to move toward their future in emergency medical services that much quicker.
More information about Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College can be found at the school’s website.