Students are referred to this program through Workforce Development, OIC, and/or other third party entities. This program is designed to serve students who are un/under employed and assist them in developing skills needed to obtain and retain positions in health care. The program is taught in four (4) phases.

Phases I, II, and III of PHCAST are offered at the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) and at the Business Incubator (BI) several times each year. Interested students should contact their location of interest to determine course offerings, eligibility and requirements.

• Phase I: Introduction to Direct Care Work-HRD 3003-Focuses on job readiness skills, literacy, numeracy, keyboarding, and realistic job previewing.
• Phase II: Direct Care Basics-HRD 3004-Focuses on non-nurse aide personal care tasks and soft skill development; this is an expansion of nurse aide (NA-1). Phase II enables one to become a limited home care aide.
• Phase III: NUR 3240-Nurse Aide I Training-see Nurse Aide I information sheet.
• Phase IV: May consist of 1 or more courses which may include: Medication Aide, Nurse Aide II, Phlebotomy, Home Care Aide, Geriatric Aide, and Community Health Coach. Students may also opt to apply to the college to enter curriculum programs at Edgecombe Community College.

Contact the site of interest to determine the process and when the next upcoming courses are scheduled.

• Students who participation in Phases I, II, & III will be registered on site the first day of class.
• See individual course information for the courses listed under Phase IV.
• Students who proceed to Phase IV will follow the instructions under the Phase IV course.
• Tuition and fees vary depending on student eligibility, progression, and approval through the application process.

Each year the last Thursday in January, at 3 p.m., a Health Occupations ceremony is held for continuing education students in the Keihin Auditorium. Light refreshments are available immediately following in the atrium.  Please note this is when students will receive recognition certificates for programs completed in the previous year.

All Health Occupation students should plan to take the CRC/Work Keys Assessment prior to completion of a course. It should only be taken once. A copy of the schedule will be posted in classrooms.  This is a valuable work credential offered by the college and is beneficial when seeking employment. For additional information contact Sylvia Grant at grants@edgecombe.edu.

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