Amber Steele Makes Leap to New Career with Assistance from Healthcare Pathways Program
At a point in Amber Steele’s professional life when she was immersed in the fast-food industry, she found that her interests were steering her toward a different career path.
“I was interested in a work-from-home job that I’d heard about from a friend,” said Steele, a resident of Lawrence County.
Amber Steele
Steele’s curiosity about remote work led her to explore what possibilities might be available through the Kentucky Career Center JobSight within Northeast Kentucky Community Action’s office in Louisa. Little did she know that this visit would open other doors and mark the beginning of a transformative journey for her career.
While at the career center, a sign caught Steele’s attention promoting State Registered Nurse Aide (SRNA) training through Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC). The prospect of becoming an SRNA aligned perfectly with her recent training in phlebotomy, and becoming a nurse aide was something she had already considered. Eager to learn more, she approached the friendly staff at the career center office to inquire about the steps to enroll.
A partner in the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network, Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency provides Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) services in Carter, Elliott, and Lawrence counties under contract with Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP). Those services include programs for adults, dislocated workers, and youth between the ages of 18 and 24 who may need assistance honing skills such as résumé building or networking with local employers, or who need assistance being retrained or going to school.
April Miller, an expert career advisor with Northeast, determined that Steele was eligible for training assistance through the Healthcare Pathways Partnership Program, an initiative of EKCEP funded by an H-1B rural healthcare grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. The program assists eligible Eastern Kentuckians as they begin or continue a nursing career pathway, including the SRNA program Steele was interested in.
Steele noted that Miller provided her with valuable information about the training program and went above and beyond to ensure that she had everything needed to succeed. Through EKCEP’s H-1B funding, Northeast covered essential costs for the training, including gas, shoes, scrubs, and medical supplies required to complete the program.
Steele said the assistance through Northeast was a significant help at the time, and provided her an avenue to make the career switch she was looking for. The training through ACTC not only equipped her with essential skills but also connected her with opportunities that would have been difficult to access otherwise, and she is currently employed at Three Rivers Medical Center in Louisa.
“Everyone at Northeast Community Action was very kind and helpful throughout the entire process, and if not for all their help I’d probably still be stuck working fast food,” Steele said.
Anyone looking for a new job should at least look into the services available through their local Kentucky Career Centers, Steele said. “I’m so grateful for everything they’ve helped me with,” she added. “Forever grateful for helping me get started in a solid career that I enjoy daily.”
If you’re interested in applying for career and employment services, visit jobsight.org/locations to find your nearest Kentucky Career Center JobSight and contact a career advisor to get started.
EKCEP, a nonprofit workforce development agency headquartered in Hazard, Ky., serves the citizens of 23 Appalachian coalfield counties. The agency provides an array of workforce development services and operates the Kentucky Career Center JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for jobseekers and employers all under one roof. Learn more about us at http://www.ekcep.org, http://www.jobsight.org and http://www.facebook.com/ekcep.
