New Department Of Labor Grants Offer Training And Certification Opportunities For American Workforce
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE) - Training grants from the U.S. Department of Labor are creating new opportunities for American workers to build skills, attain professional credentials, and fill job openings in a job market that is calling for greater specialization.
In early October, the Department of Labor announced $159 million in H-1B Technical Skills Training grants to 36 job training and placement programs throughout the country. The program aims to increase access to training and certification for Americans in occupations where specialized skills are needed and demand is highest.
These new grants target high-growth areas such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, science, information technology, and construction. In many of these fields, professional credentials offer a major advantage, providing an immediately identifiable indicator that the holder has the skills, knowledge, and understanding of the field necessary to consistently succeed in that particular job family.
"Professional certification is the natural next step after completion of a structured training program," said Melissa Murer Corrigan, president of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. "As technologies advance in various fields, new opportunities will continue to arise for people with the right training and experience. Receiving training and gaining industry-recognized certification is the most effective way for professionals to take advantage of those opportunities."
In the field of healthcare, growing demand for medical care has broadened the range of the field's occupations, requiring increased levels of education and training. Programs funded through the H-1B grants will be able to help more medical professionals advance or transfer to new high-demand occupations. This career pathway is made possible by attaining certifications, licenses, certificates, and degrees from accredited programs for medical assistants, therapists, technicians, clinical lab technologists, nurses, and other allied health specialties.
"Today's job market calls for greater specialization, and the healthcare field is no exception," said Megan Cohen, Executive Director of the National Association Medical Staff Services. "Highly focused training is necessary in all facets of healthcare today. In our profession, medical staff professionals need to stay on the cutting edge of new treatments and technology to ensure credentialing and clinical privileging systems are based on recent regulatory requirements and accreditation standards. Acquiring the proper education and certification is critical for medical professionals to show they have the skills and understanding necessary to provide proper care for patients."
The Department of Labor's H-1B grants can help many Americans receive proper training, attain credentials, and build careers in healthcare and other high-growth, high-skill occupations. More information about the H-1B training grants is available at http://www.dol.gov. Information about credentialing bodies in a variety of industries is available at the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, at http://w3.credentialingexcellence.org/members.
About the Institute for Credentialing Excellence and the National Commission for Certifying Agencies
Established in 1977, Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) (formerly the National Organization for Competency Assurance) is the leading international membership organization representing the credentialing community. ICE fulfills its mission through the delivery of education and training programs, in setting quality standards for credentialing, and by providing accreditation services through its accreditation division, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). The ICE membership is composed of credentialing organizations, testing companies, and individual professional development consultants. ICE and NCCA are based in Washington, DC. For further information, please visit www.credentialingexcellence.org.
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