Scholarship Offers Fast Track from Training to the Workforce
Some investments, like the Robert I. Schattner (RIS) Foundation’s Job Training and Certification Scholarship, are the right gift at the right moment to transform the lives of students.
The Robert I. Schattner Foundation’s financial commitment to students pursuing career training through the Workforce Development and Continuing Education (WDCE) programs at Montgomery College ensures that financial need does not prevent them from preparing for high demand jobs relatively quickly.
Each eligible student can receive up to $4,000 for a full scholarship, along with career navigation and support for certification exam fees, required books, and/or emergency assistance. The 50 to 60 students selected for this new WDCE scholarship will complete their training and be ready to work by June 30, 2024.
The Robert I. Schattner Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 1992 by Dr. Robert I. Schattner, inventor of Chloraseptic and a line of products known as Sporicidin. Dr. Schattner died in 2017 at the age of 92.
“We truly appreciate this partnership, which enables students to move immediately from college training programs to well-paying jobs with the least number of social and economic barriers,” says RIS President and Chairman Sidney Bresler.
The Robert I. Schattner Foundation’s investment fills a gap for WDCE students pursuing certifications and training in career fields that take a relatively short amount of time to access. The student who earns a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), for example, can be on the road within three months. The certified nursing assistant or geriatric nursing assistant can begin working in healthcare facilities after three months of classroom and clinical training hours. A phlebotomy technician can be drawing blood and preparing samples for testing after 60 hours of training and a clinical internship. Other aspiring workers can pursue careers in early childhood education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or as pharmacy technicians, HVAC technicians, or IT professionals—in less than a year.
Funds also support a program coordinator and a workforce scholarship specialist who will provide specialized services to students, collect data, and report outcomes. It will also pay for nursing equipment for skills labs at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, and the new East County Education Center, among other MC locations.