MGCCC’s new Singing River LPN Apprenticeship Program sees 15 graduate

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Friday is a historic day at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where 15 apprentices graduate from the new Singing River Academy LPN Apprenticeship Program.

One of those apprentices, Amber Granger, couldn’t be more proud as emotions were running high.

“Here we are today, we’re graduating in front of our friends and families, and it’s amazing,” said Granger. “I’m so proud of with my coworkers, now we are all going to be nurses. So, we are ready to enter the workforce.”

A workforce that is currently facing a large worker shortage.

“I’m only one person,” said Granger. “We are only a class of 15 and there’s 35-hundred shortage of nurses in Mississippi. But I know, we will be able to enter that workforce and provide for that gap.”

The next step for Granger and the other 14 apprentices is to take their NCLEX Board exams. The exam that, if passed, will officially make these individuals nurses. Granger said she is more than prepared.

“I think I could take it right now today and still pass,” Granger said. “Like, I have a 93% of passing, according to ATI, and that’s very good. So, my whole class, I think if we could take it right now, we’ll take it.”

One of the perks of pursuing Singing River Academy’s LPN Apprenticeship Program is that you “earn while you learn”. This means that there is no cost to the program, and you get paid to learn.

According to Singing River’s website, “Your time is split between classroom learning, practical application, and work within the healthcare system. After achieving the required clinical hours, apprentices can apply for their certification exam.”

After completing the program, Singing River Health offers immediate employment to qualified graduates. If you are interested in learning more about the program, or if you would like to apply, you can visit here.

Click here to subscribe to WLOX News on YouTube: Keep up with South Mississippi news, sports, and local events on our YouTube channel!

Copyright 2023 WLOX. All rights reserved.