Decorah High School kicks off first CNA course in cooperation with NICC and Aase Haugen

L-R: Certified Nursing Assistant program teacher Tiffany Lundvedt, student Arielle Gossman, Aase Haugh Business Development Director Patty Casterton, students Kaityln Schnitzler, Emma Rolfs, Amanda Kuehner, Elise Miller and Kalea Oftedahl, NICC Career Success Coach Julie Jevne, student Kari Tangen and Decorah High School Principal Kim Sheppard

Decorah High School, Aase Haugen Senior Services, and Northeast Iowa Community College have teamed up to offer a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program in Decorah High School.

The class is expected to have a big impact on seniors in the area, according to Aase Haugen Executive Director Jeffrey Schmidt.  Says Schmidt, "it's no secret that Decorah is fast becoming a retirement destination. But that comes with challenges, and one of the biggest is workforce. We're not alone in the business culture of Decorah when we say we have trouble finding entry level staff – you can see this reflected in the classifieds each week. But we're focused on changing that for senior care."

The new CNA class programming at Decorah High School is specifically tailored to meet the needs of the students.  The new high school block scheduling and continued partnership with NICC allows students to take the class while still being involved in their favorite high school activities and experiences. "Decorah kids work hard and play hard. Not only are they outstanding academic achievers, but they excel in their extracurricular activities in sports and the fine arts as well," says Decorah High School principal Kim Sheppard. "This can be a challenge when it comes to finding a part-time job or free time to learn something new, but thanks to support from Aase Haugen and NICC, we were able to offer the CNA course as a class option during the school day."

In addition to making it convenient for students to earn certification during the school day, Aase Haugen created a lab in their facility on Ohio Street. Students looking to earn a good wage also benefit from flexible scheduling at Aase Haugen, so they are able to fit a good paying part-time job into their life.

"Working together with Decorah High School and Aase Haugen is such a positive experience," says NICC health success coach Julie Jevne. "The health care industry is exploding with new job opportunities and most professions require students earn their CNA prior to, or in concurrence with, their college coursework. It's a win-win situation for Decorah students as they earn high school graduation credit and take care of pre-requisites for many college health care careers."

This semester, seven students have signed up for the class at the high school at no additional cost to them.