ABINGTON, Pa. — Penn State Abington is collaborating with Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi) to provide qualified students with an English language barrier with Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) training classes at the campus.
A $316,560 grant to PASSi from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industries announced last week has made this initiative possible.The VESL training classes, in conjunction with vocational training, are part of PASSi’s Penn Asian Vocational Institute (PAVI) project Providing Career Pathways to Expand the Multilingual Healthcare Workforce. The project’s mission is to provide comprehensive vocational training to Southeastern Pennsylvania’s low-income multilingual workforce and to prepare them to enter the health industry as home health aides or certified nursing assistants.
The Home Health Aide (HHA) training program includes a comprehensive overview of private-care HHA principles and procedures as well as instruction in English, Korean, and Chinese to prepare the trainees to give proper care, attention, and cultural sensitivity to clients from varying backgrounds. The Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program provides theoretical and clinical instruction for qualified students to serve in nursing homes and hospitals, as well as skills in problem-solving, communication and decision-making.
Established in 2005, PASSi is a nonprofit organization that provides personal care, adult day care, vocational training and social support services specializing in the care of Asian-Americans and other immigrants in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Penn State Abington has collaborated with PASSi on several projects over the past twelve years.