NOCE Launches New Dual-Certificate Personal Care Aide (PCA) Program for English Language Learners to Gain Job, Language Skills College News

January 05, 2021

New PCA Program Awards both Personal Care Aide and ESL for Workplace Preparation Certificates in Just 18 Weeks to Facilitate Quick Skill and Job Attainment

ANAHEIM, CA – North Orange Continuing Education (NOCE) will launch a new dual-certificate Personal Care Aide (PCA) Program for the 2021 Spring Semester. Students enrolled will be awarded two certificates in just 18 weeks: Personal Care Aide Certificate and English as a Second Language (ESL) for Workplace Preparation, Advanced Certificate.

Designed for English language learners, the new Integrated Basic Skills and Education Training (I-BEST) program provides Career Technical Education (CTE) Program content with English language support. The I-BEST class model offers students the unique ability to quickly build job and communication skills simultaneously. The PCA program welcomes English as a Second Language (ESL) students at the Intermediate Low level and above. Students enrolled in the first cohort must commit to the full 18 weeks of the 2021 Spring Semester to take a combination of PCA and ESL courses for 16 hours each week. Upon completion, students will be awarded both the Personal Care Aide (CTE) Certificate and the ESL for Workforce Preparation, Advanced (ESL) Certificate. Call to enroll now; program is open to 20 students only. Course work will be mostly online, with limited in-person activities following CDC guidelines including social distancing and mask-wearing. Classes begin the week of January 19, 2021. 

LIVE VIRTUAL INFORMATION SESSION: Interested students are invited to join a live virtual information session with the teachers on Zoom at 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. on Monday, January 11, 2020. Students must call 714.808.4638 or e-mail ESL4ALL@noce.edu for the meeting link.

The new PCA program provides valuable skills to prepare students for the workforce. Students enrolled in the new program will learn how to perform the tasks of a personal care aide, learn to find and keep a job in this industry, and learn to prepare successfully for a job interview. Additionally, this program grants students the opportunity to communicate directly with clients, families, and employers.

The median hourly salary wage for an entry-level PCA is $13.41 with 38,124 jobs created in 2019 and 39.9 percent anticipated job growth through 2029. Median hourly wage is the average between highest-paid 50 percent and lowest-paid 50 percent. Most students will start at entry-level wages. Data referenced from the Employment Development Department’s (EDD) Occupational Employment & Wage Data as of June 2019.

For more information, or to register for the PCA Program, contact the ESL Program: 714.808.4638 or ESL4ALL@noce.edu. For more information about other NOCE classes and services, check out the 2021 Spring Semester Class Schedule at www.noce.edu/schedule. 

PCA Flier

NOCE Background

A member of North Orange County Community College District, which also includes Cypress College and Fullerton College, North Orange Continuing Education has been cultivating change since 1973 with educational programs and services from high school completion, English-language acquisition, vocational training, and self-development programs. NOCE serves 28,000 students annually, ranging from preschoolers to seniors, at three Center locations, online, and more than 50 off-campus community locations. Accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and part of the California Community College System, all NOCE courses are approved by the State of California.