After losing her job, Valerie St. Pierre launched a new career with help from Mother Lode Job Training and Columbia College
It’s not every day that a job loss leads to bigger and better opportunities, but that’s what happened for 60-year-old Valerie St. Pierre of Sonora.
St. Pierre had long worked in medical and dental offices—checking in patients, verifying insurance, helping with referrals and managing records. When the cardiology office where she worked as a practice coordinator shuttered last June, she decided it was time to shift gears. She already possesses an associate degree from Heald College and is a registered dental assistant, but she wanted something with more potential for career growth.
“I went to the Mother Lode Job Training [MLJT] office to revamp my resume,” she said. “I thought, I’m going to talk to these people and get a better idea about current trends and learn how to market myself better.”
There, she learned about medical job certificate programs through Columbia College and MLJT, which were beneficiaries of grants from the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency and California Workforce Development Board. The career pathways programs cover training costs for students to become patient access representatives, nursing assistants, medical assistants, and phlebotomists.
The programs align with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office’s Vision 2030, which aims to empower students and improve their social and economic mobility through workforce development programs in key areas, including health care.
Columbia College provided instruction, externship placement and materials; MLJT provided career guidance and other services to help students complete the program. Since January 2023, 75 Regional Equity and Recovery Partnership participants entered training and 49 have graduated. Students must then take national exams before securing jobs.
“This program is an excellent example of how workforce development and education can strategically partner in a rural area to bring relevant training that both meets the needs of industry and offers career opportunities to local workers,” said David Thoeny, executive director for MLJT.
“This program is a great opportunity for those who want to break into the health care field but can’t afford the schooling or find a program without traveling an hour and taking out a $10,000 to $30,000 loan.”
Valerie St. Pierre, Columbia College Medical Assistant Program Graduate
St. Pierre applied with a 600-word letter explaining her employment situation and why she wanted to be a medical assistant. She was accepted and completed the 18-week course in December 2024. She plans to take the state test to complete her certification and then begin a 120-hour externship.
“This was a door opening,” she said. “It was meant to be. It is great training for anyone interested in patient service.”
The training included students of all ages. “It was refreshing to be learning side-by-side with people as young as my daughters. This program is a great opportunity for those who want to break into the health care field but can’t afford the schooling or find a program without traveling an hour and taking out a $10,000 to $30,000 loan.”
She also completed the certificate program to become a patient access representative and now works part-time on a patient access team, admitting patients in the Department of Surgery at Adventist Health Hospital in Sonora. She will be floating through various departments during her tenure at the hospital.
At the same time, St. Pierre is taking science courses at Columbia College that will help her qualify for a program to become a certified sonographer, a role she hopes will lead her back into cardiology to perform echocardiograms.
St. Pierre hopes her enthusiasm for the program is contagious.
“Anyone I have a conversation with who is looking for advanced training and certification within the health field, I refer to the program,” she said. “It’s a gift to our community, and I love to share my journey with those looking for the same path.”
Learn more about healthcare careers and other opportunities available at Mother Lode Job Training at www.mljt.org , and about educational and career training at Columbia College at gocolumbia.edu. For more information about Vision 2030, go to https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Vision-2030.
Written by Dorsey Griffith
| Regions | Classes & Topics |
|---|---|
| Central California | Workforce Development Board |
