Camden County has found a way through its One-Stop Career Center to save a quality training program for about 50 aspiring licensed practical nurses (LPNs) that had been facing cancellation due to cutbacks within the Camden School District.

“This offers the gift of hope to these students,” said an elated Louis Cappelli Jr., director of the Camden County Board of Freeholders. After learning of the crisis facing the nursing trainees, Cappelli said the freeholders directed the county administration to explore ways to make sure the training program is available in September, as scheduled. The One Stop office on Mount Ephraim Avenue in Camden has coordinated training and employment for thousands of county residents in the past and was the ideal choice for working with the state government and related agencies to make sure the estimated $200,000 could be identified to make the training available once the Jerrothia Riggs Adult Education Center at 1656 Kaighn Avenue closes as a consequence of school district cutbacks.

“We are pleased to be part of this collaborative effort with our local partners in the One-Stop Career Center and the Camden County Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to help the current and incoming nursing students complete their training” said New Jersey Labor Commissioner David J. Socolow. New Jersey’s One- Stop Career Centers and WIBs are demand-driven and their programs use federal and state funding coordinated by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development to provide vital training in demand occupations. “In the future, residents who wish to receive training for LPN certification will begin the process at our One-Stop Career Centers, which can provide training resources and access to a variety of training providers,” Socolow added.

Cappelli said One Stop officials are putting final touches on the plan with school district officials, adding: “Our One Stop center has extensive experience and success in implementing similar programs, so incorporating this program into our service delivery menu will be seamless and beneficial to all concerned parties.”

“These are good jobs paying $20 to $25 per hour with benefits, and there is demand for LPNs. There are currently 30 positions available on the job bank listings within the One Stop center,” Cappelli said. He added that many of the hospitals in this region also offer to send LPNs to school for their Registered Nurse certification if they promise to continue working with that hospital for a certain time period.

“Graduates will be positioned to compete for dozens of good jobs generated by the health sciences campus developing in and around Cooper University Hospital,” Cappelli said.