Released: January 26, 2021
COVID-19 and its economic fallout have left almost 14,000 Delaware County residents unemployed. The Delaware County Workforce Development System offers free tuition assistance for training in high demand occupations to help unemployed and underemployed residents prepare for the post COVID-19 workplace.
The Delaware County Workforce Development System works with business leaders and education leaders to identify the skills and training that workers need to succeed. The Workforce Development System then provides tuition for unemployed or underemployed residents to get training in these critical skills. Colleges and training schools with a strong record of helping people get jobs in their new field are selected for the program.
Many Delaware County residents have already taken advantage of this opportunity to change fields. Maryanne had been a professional gambler, but when COVID-19 forced the closure of casinos she began to look for a new career. After working with a Career Specialist through the PA CareerLink, she decided to pursue a Commercial Driver’s License. She was able to use the tuition assistance to pay the full cost of the training. She is now a long-haul driver with good job stability and a new found love of adventure in her job.
Other residents have used the program to increase their skills in the same field. Laura had been a part-time Nursing Assistant and wanted to move up the career ladder to higher pay and a more stable schedule. She met with a Career Specialist at the PA CareerLink in Chester to create a plan to advance to a Licensed Practical Nurse. With help from the Workforce Development System’s tuition assistance, she was able to earn her degree and find employment.
As the Federal Government provides stimulus programs to extend the length of unemployment benefits, this is an ideal time for unemployed residents to take advantage of the opportunity to obtain the skills they need for post COVID-19 employment. Tuition assistance is available for many in-demand fields such as healthcare, manufacturing, computer programming, and contact tracing. Excellent colleges and training programs that participate in this program include Delaware County Community College, Villanova Professional Program, All State Training School, Springhouse Education, and Full Circle Computing.
Unemployed or underemployed Delaware County residents are encouraged to learn more about training that can help them prepare for the post COVID-19 workplace. The first step is to attend an orientation to learn about the programs available. To learn more, call 610-723-1220, email wec@dccc.edu or visit https://pacareerlinkdelco.org/