This Funding Will Provide 30 Students to Attend MassBay’s CNA Program for Free
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. (March 18, 2021) — MassBay Community College is pleased to announce it has been awarded $79,990 from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) for the Training Resources and Internship Network (TRAIN) grant program. This grant is designed to support long-term unemployed, under-employed, and new entrant adult workers who seek to enter and reenter the workforce and address regional workforce shortages. MassBay will use these funds to subsidize all costs for 30 students to attend MassBay’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program.
“MassBay’s CNA program has been providing students with the training they need to succeed in the growing healthcare industry,” said MassBay Director of Corporate Partnership and Workforce Development, Phara Boyer. “Certified Nursing Assistants are in-demand, with local employers reaching out every week to hire our students when they complete our program because they know our graduates have the know-how and compassion to provide excellent care. We are extremely grateful for this DHE grant, knowing these funds will directly provide worthy students
![MassBay CNA Training in Framingham]( "MassBay CNA Training in Framingham")
with the opportunity to pursue meaningful, sustainable, and well-paying careers.”
The MassBay CNA program is an eight-week program, which includes a combination of remote lectures and hands-on training at a community partner clinical location. This grant covers all tuition and fees, textbook, uniform, certification fees, and all other required materials, which would typically cost a student approximately $1,400. The CNA program also includes workforce readiness assessment and training including, study skills, time management, and career advising.
“As a hospice chaplain, the CNA program will give me additional tools to help the residents I serve, as well as assist my fellow hospice team,” said MassBay CNA student and Norwood, MA resident, Bob Davidson. “This May I will also be participating in a mission trip to Honduras as part of a medical team. This team will be helping people that have been impacted by hurricanes that hit Honduras last summer. Because this grant will make my program free, I can use those funds for my trip expenses and medical supplies to help the people. This funding will have a far reaching effect on not only by educating me, but helping people locally and abroad.”
According to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education website, “By providing eligible individuals with a comprehensive program of training and wrap-around support services, adult learners will be prepared to secure employment, support their families and contribute to Massachusetts’ economic recovery. These fourteen grants totaling $1,339,534 will provide training for 427 adult learners located in every region of the Commonwealth served by each of Massachusetts’ 15 community colleges.”
MassBay’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program is part of the College’s Corporate Partnership & Workforce Development (CPWD) and is enrolling students for the summer semester. Prospective students are encouraged to email cpwd@massbay.edu or call 508-270-4100.
MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston, offering a robust portfolio of courses and more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley Hills, and online. MassBay students receive an unmatched educational value by earning stackable credits that transfer to bachelor’s degree programs, and workforce-ready skills necessary to advance careers in high-demand fields such as health and life sciences, automotive technology, engineering, business, cybersecurity, and the humanities. MassBay’s Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs were both ranked as the #1 Nursing Program in Massachusetts in 2020-2021 by national nursing advocacy organizationsRegisteredNursing.org, and PracticalNursing.org. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and remains firmly committed to its mission of meeting the needs of the diverse local communities it serves. We value the intrinsic worth of all individuals, collectively in pursuit of inclusiveness and prioritize our work towards achieving equity within our community and beyond.