The Schuylkill Technology Center (STC) Adult Education Center is expanding its offerings with the launch of an Adult Evening Practical Nursing Program, set to begin on March 10, 2025.
This initiative aims to provide greater accessibility to individuals who wish to pursue a career in nursing while maintaining daytime employment.
Since 1966, STC has successfully trained adults to become Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), boasting a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX examination in 2024. The NCLEX exam is a requirement for obtaining licensure in Pennsylvania.
The STC LPN program has been offered exclusively during the day, making it difficult for working adults to enroll. However, during a visit to the STC North Campus last year, PA State Representative Joanne Stehr (107th District), a former student of the STC Adult Evening Practical Nursing Program, encouraged the center to reinstate evening classes to better accommodate students who need to balance work and education.
"That comment reignited STC staff to begin working with the PA State Board of Nursing to resume the evening LPN classes," said Shannon Brennan, STC Director. The two-year evening program will operate from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m., three evenings per week. It will later transition to one evening per week, with clinical hours scheduled every other weekend in partnership with affiliated clinical facilities.
“This delivery model should afford participants the time to manage both school and work,” said Kim O’Neill, Practical Nursing Program Coordinator.
Licensed Practical Nursing remains a high-priority occupation in Luzerne and Schuylkill counties, with a projected 2% job growth over the next five years and a median annual salary of $56,650.
Prospective students must complete pre-enrollment testing to qualify for admission. The final entrance exam testing date for the evening program is set for February 25, 2025.
More information and applications are available online at https://adult.stcenters.org or by calling (570) 874-1412.