VGCC honors first JobsNOW Phlebotomy graduates

Vance-Granville Community College’s Occupational Healthcare Programs department recently celebrated the first Phlebotomy students at the college to graduate through the state’s JobsNOW training program. A graduation ceremony was held on Thursday, June 17 in the small auditorium on the college’s Main Campus. The graduates are now eligible to sit for the American Medical Technologists (AMT) national certification exam. Phlebotomists, also known as Phlebotomy Technicians, obtain blood samples from patients’ arteries or veins at area medical facilities including hospitals, clinics and physicians’ offices.

The honored graduates included Keesha Hargrove, Keisha Owens, Shaneka Plummer and Amanda Sauls, all of Henderson; Ernestine Bullock of Butner; Shaunte Fields of Warrenton; Christopher Smith of Durham; Stacy Wood of Creedmoor; and Crystal Williams of Louisburg.

These graduates were participants in the JobsNOW “12 in 6” initiative, which is made possible by American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, administered through the North Carolina Community College System and the N.C. Department of Commerce. Many students also received a scholarship provided by a Golden LEAF Opportunities for Work (GLOW) grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. In addition to Phlebotomy, VGCC students can choose from two other JobsNOW opportunities: Nursing Assistant (CNA) and Medical Billing & Coding.

For information on JobsNOW Phlebotomy classes, call Courtney Cooke at (252) 738-3427, Emily Hamilton at (252) 738-3366, or Jenny Allen at (252) 738-3345.

Above: VGCC recently recognized its first Phlebotomy graduates to complete their training through the state’s JobsNOW program. Pictured in front, from left, are graduates Shaneka Plummer, Amanda Sauls, Crystal Williams, Keisha Owens, and Keesha Hargrove; in back, from left, instructor Kathy Bedussi with graduates Stacy Wood, Ernestine Bullock, Christopher Smith, and Shaunte Fields.