Cetronia Ambulance Corps has designed a four-year program to create a career pathway for unemployed and underemployed Lehigh Valley residents to become paramedics.

The apprentices initially work for six months as nonemergency paratransit drivers to learn customer service skills and the geographic location of hospitals and health care facilities.

During this time, they take a noncredit emergency medical technical course at Lehigh Carbon Community College and prepare for national EMT certification tests.

Once they receive EMT certification, they are paired with paramedics for on-the-job learning and continue to take courses at LCCC.

Apprentices are paid wages from their first day of hire at Cetronia Ambulance Corps.

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act funds are used to cover the EMT course in the first year.

During the second and third years, apprentices use Federal Pell Grants for college credit courses.

Cetronia pays for the apprentice’s paramedic education in the fourth year.

In that year, the apprentices enroll in paramedic courses and enhance their on-the-job learning training.

At the completion of the fourth year, the apprentices take their paramedic national certification exam and receive their national registry certificate as a paramedic.

Up to 20 college credits are applied toward an Associate degree, and some credits may be applied toward an advanced nursing program.

The program addresses an anticipated national shortage of emergency medical service workers and paramedics as current personnel retire.

The anticipated shortage is based on data from Pennsylvania’s Center for Workforce Information and Analysis.

“It is imperative that we continue to groom the future of the EMS industry,” said Larry Wiersch, chief executive officer of Cetronia Ambulance Corps. “We are very pleased to be able to work with such fine organizations that assist with making connections for us and helping to fund these efforts,”

To learn more about this opportunity, contact Mick O’Hearn at PA CareerLink Lehigh Valley, mohearn@careerlinklv.org or email Cetronia Ambulance Corps Director of Human Resources Shawn McGovern at mcgoverns@cetronia.org.