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Online learning program leads to jobsHuman Services Credentialing Program being offered for free through June MARLBOROUGH, MA – MetroWest residents who have barriers to employment and are interested in obtaining employment in the human service field are being offered free training through an online learning management system called Providers’ eAcademy®. Successful completion of the program gives the participant a credential, which shows employers that employees understand the basic competencies required for the job. Participants who earn a Human Services Credential will also be identified as people who are ready to work and they will receive assistance in finding their new job. The Human Services Credential is offered through Providers’ eAcademy®, an online program, which can take as little as 12 hours to complete. The program teaches a set of skills and competencies designed for entry-level work with people who have developmental disabilities/mental retardation. Registered participants can log into computers at local computer labs to take courses or they can do so in the convenience of their own homes. Upon successful completion of the program, the credentialed participant will be able to meet with a job developer who can assist them by identifying available positions in the human services field. Most full-time positions include valuable benefits, such as employer-subsidized health insurance. The Human Services Credentialing Program was designed by the Providers’ Council, the largest statewide membership association for community-based organizations providing social, rehabilitation, education and health care services. Employment Options, Inc. of Marlborough, MA, is the agency that is hosting and administering the Human Services Credentialing Program for youth, older workers, immigrants and those with barriers to employment living in the MetroWest area. The program is available until the end of June. Toni Wolf, Executive Director of Employment Options stated, “We are dedicated to helping people, and our partnership with the Providers’ Council benefits the community in multiple ways.” The human services field employs more than 100,000 people in Massachusetts and is constantly growing, even when the economy is slowing down. The workforce is expected to grow by 30% to 40% in the next eight to 10 years. Typically, human services professionals work to assist and empower people with issues ranging from mental retardation to chronic mental illness to homelessness. Many organizations have open positions now and are eager to find people to fill them. This program is open to anyone who is not employed in the human service field. It is an opportunity for a person entering the workforce, someone who has been supporting others in various ways their whole life or someone new to the community. To register for Providers’ eAcademy®, contact Shannon Hall at Employment Options, phone: (508) 485-5051 ext. 228, email: shall@employmentoptions.org. For more information about the program, go to http://www.employmentoptions.org/eAcademy.shtml Employment Options, Inc. is a non-profit agency serving two distinct populations in the MetroWest region, namely those in need of mental health services, called the Clubhouse program, and low-income individuals that require workforce development services. Beginning in 1967, the agency has grown and reaches beyond its original mission of serving people with mental illness to help all consumers who face barriers to employment, by supplying critical workforce development services. The agency also serves first-time job seekers, immigrant workers, and job-seeking professionals who need career mentoring.
About Providers’ eAcademy® and the Providers’ eAcademy® is an online Human Services learning and credentialing program of the Providers’ Council, also known as the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, Inc. The Council is the largest statewide membership association for community-based organizations providing social, rehabilitation, education and health care services. For more information, visit http://www.providers.org. |
