Students at Ferriday and Vidalia High Schools next year will have the opportunity to become Certified Nurses Assistants and phlebotomists by the time that they graduate.

The patient care technician program, which will be given during school hours and co-sponsored by the Louisiana Technical College campus in Ferriday, will require both classroom instructional time and practical clinical work.

Vidalia High School participated in a similar program before as part of a high school redesign grant in which students were offered several vocational options.

The aims of the new, parish-wide program are similar.

Director of Academic Programs for Concordia Parish schools Paul Nelson said he hoped the program would give students a jump start.

“Those students that finish the program will then have those certifications to take with them to apply for employment,” Nelson said.

Vidalia High School sophomore Keiosha Smith is excited about the program, and plans to put her certification to use as soon as she gets it.

“It’s better than working in a grocery store,” she said.

Another Vidalia sophomore, Betsy Loyed, said she is glad that the program is there so that she can explore career options.

“I just want the experience to try it on,” she said.

Brandon Houck, a Vidalia sophomore who wants to be a radiologist, said that he sees no reason not to take the course.

“If you’re headed to college for this anyway, you might as well get a head start,” he said.

The program will be hosted on school campuses, Nelson said.

“Having it on campus is a big advantage when it comes to transportation,” he said.

“We’re working to get those rooms stocked with the appropriate equipment.”

Though the program will be hosted mainly during the school day, some out-of-school hours may be required, Nelson said.

“Students will be doing clinical hours as a kind practicum arrangement,” Nelson said. “It’s hard to do that when you have to go to a location and get back in a two hour block.”

The technical college will transport students to and from their clinical work, said Sherrill Byrd, director of students and financial aid for Louisiana Technical College-Shelby Jackson campus.

“Here’s a 80- hour component of clinical hours but we’ll spread it out so that they can be back at school for their other classes,” Byrd said.

Clinical hours will be hosted at a local hospital and a nursing home, and will be taught by one of the technical college’s health occupations instructors, Byrd said.

“The instructor will meet our standards and specifications,” she said.

The idea for next year’s program came after the high school redesign project with Vidalia was successful, Byrd said.

Unlike next year’s program, that program was hosted on the technical college’s campus, she said.

“Some students graduated from that program, and because it was so successful — because there is such a demand for health care in this area — we got the idea of having it again,” she said.

The program will be at no cost to students, with the school board paying whatever fees are necessary, Byrd said.

“We’re working to lower costs,” she said.

Vidalia High School counselor Cynthia Smith said that the program is a good start for any student who wants to pursue a career in health care.

“When they finish it, they don’t have to stop there,” she said. “But it sure is a beginning.”