Career Technical Education enables students to have the career they want
When COVID-19 erupted, millions hunkered down, hoping the danger would pass them by. Not Tesfalidet M. Yohannes: Even though he was already working in a medical device factory that produces life-saving equipment, he felt there was more he could do.
“When I saw all these healthcare people on TV and in the news, they do so much,” he says. “Every day, these people were giving their lives for patients. I was doing the medical device assembly, which is helping people, but I wanted to do more.”
“Berkeley Adult School gave me the foundation to start working where I wanted to.”
Tesfalidet M. Yohannes, Certified medical assistant and Berkeley Adult School graduate
Affordability
Unfortunately, when Yohannes looked into going back to school, it was too expensive. Those substantial costs stood in the way until he found Berkeley Adult School (BAS) and its medical office assisting program, which qualified him to handle administrative tasks in a medical office.
“Berkeley Adult School gave me the foundation to start working where I wanted to. As you know, [medical school] is very expensive in the US, and that’s why I didn’t go to school before that. But when I found Berkeley Adult School, I said this is affordable,” he says. “It is for people like me, a [school] that really shows you the way to a good life.”
A short, flexible timeline
Yohannes finished BAS’ medical office assisting program in six months. He continued his education at another school and earned his medical assistant certification, which enables him to work directly with patients. In total, it took him approximately 15 months to achieve his goal. BAS’ flexible class scheduling also allowed him to work full time while studying in the evenings. He was also connected with an internship at a Bay Area medical office that ended with a job offer.
“They hired me straight away and after a few months they gave me a pay raise. After six months, they made me a lead medical assistant, so it’s definitely working out,” he says. “But I still want to continue studying because I want to become an X-ray technician, something like that.”
Support in and out of the classroom
Yohannes admits that going back to school in his 50s was intimidating, but support from teachers and his fellow students helped him adjust quickly to his online classroom.
“They really teach you, they want to make you learn, it’s not about just finishing your hours and then going home, … they really support you throughout really, really well,” he says. “The first couple of weeks was a little [difficult] for me because I was going to school and trying to get the computer, … but once we started I’d pretty much come home from work and go in and start early.”
Yohannes says one of the best aspects aspects of having an in-demand job is the freedom it allows. The health care field is a growing one: The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts health care jobs will grow 13% over the next decade. Freedom comes with being able to find a market for your skills anywhere you want to go.
To find out what Berkeley Adult School can do for you, visit bas.berkeleyschools.net or call (510) 644-6130.
Written by Anne Stokes
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Bay Area California | Careers in Health Care |
