Forty Surry-Yadkin Works Students Begin CNA Apprenticeships

Forty local students are now working as Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) pre-apprentices and apprentices after signing commitments with regional healthcare providers, through Surry-Yadkin Works.

Program Director Crystal Folger-Hawks says, “Apprenticeships combine on-the-job and classroom training and help our students to get a foot in the door to the labor market while also increasing access to higher education. This program is also helping meet our local employers' needs for a workforce with applied, technical, and problem-solving skills. We are so proud that we can be an avenue to offer this opportunity to students and businesses in Surry and Yadkin counties.”

The first youth apprentice program for registered nurses in North Carolina has culminated in many success stories for local students. This special opportunity is a part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program and the state’s ApprenticeshipNC program through the N.C. Community College System Office that combines a paid work-based learning experience with classroom academics leading to a national certification. If selected to continue to an apprenticeship, these students will earn free tuition for the Associate Degree Nursing program at a North Carolina community college to become registered nurses, while also working with local healthcare providers.

Twenty-four students are working as CNA pre-apprentices or apprentices with Northern Regional Hospital. These students include: Erin Brendle, Sidney Castillo, Claire Hardy, Hailey Penn, Angelle Phipps, Evelyn Ruedisueli, Isabella Seal and Wenxin Zheng of East Surry High School; Emily Gutierrez of Mount Airy High School; Summara Euart, Natalee Frazier, Jerika Garcia, Nadia Hernandez and Brianna McMillian of North Surry High School; Abigail Arce, Fernanda Camacho, Fatima Gonzalez, Taylor Haynes, Taylor Heath and Marissa McCann of Surry Central High School; Yulehidi Aguirre and Haylee Orellana of Surry Early College High School; Savannah Howard of Surry Online Magnet School; and Skylar Mosley of Yadkin Early College High School.

Two students are returning as CNA apprentices with Northern Regional Hospital. These students are Brianna Key and Mariela Secundino of Surry Early College High School.

Twelve students are working as CNA pre-apprentices with Hugh Chatham Health. These students include: Alexa Gutierrez-Portilla, RyleeAnn Poplin and Mattie Wells of Elkin High School; Alyson Correa and Jennifer Garcia of Forbush High School; Kimberly Gordy, Paige Gryder, Hailey Rodriguez and Allison Vazquez of Starmount High School; Cali Childress and Brittany Frausto of Surry Central High School; and Alexandra Flores-Ruiz of Yadkin Early College High School.

Karla Pedraza of Surry Central High School is working as a CNA pre-apprentice with Mountain Valley Hospice.

Joricza Ramerez-Vega of Surry Central High School is working as a CNA pre-apprentice with RidgeCrest.

Surry-Yadkin Works is the first community-based internship program of its kind in North Carolina covering a two-county region. This innovative business and education initiative is the collaborative effort of four public school systems in Surry and Yadkin counties including Elkin City Schools, Mount Airy City Schools, Surry County Schools, and Yadkin County Schools, as well as Surry Community College, to create a unique approach to a regional internship program.

The funding is also a joint effort with commitments from the Surry County Commissioners and the Yadkin County Commissioners. An anonymous contributor donated $100,000 prompted by a presentation about the program at an educational summit. Surry-Yadkin Works officially began on January 1, 2021.

For more information about the program, contact Crystal Folger-Hawks, Surry-Yadkin Works Program Director, at (336) 401-7820 or folger-hawksc@surry.edu or visit www.surryyadkinworks.org. You can also follow Surry-Yadkin Works on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.