Johnson College revamped its continuing education department to equip individuals with the skills needed to fill in-demand job positions.

Through the college’s Workforce Advancement & Value-Added Education (WAVE) program, individuals can enroll in career-focused training at any time and complete programs online, officials said.

Johnson College offers 13 career-focused training courses in areas such as electronic health records, medical billing and coding, professional bookkeeping with QuickBooks, sales representative and more, providing opportunities for learners to develop practical skills and pursue industry-recognized certifications aligned with their professional goals, officials added.

“We’ve updated and adapted our programs to make sure they’re more in line with regional employment demands, and that we’re addressing the gaps our employers in the area are seeing,” said Ashley Bechaver, director of WAVE. “With the institution of online programming system July 1, we’ve seen a lot of interest not just from our area, but throughout the state of Pennsylvania.”

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act-approved training is available to eligible individuals seeking to gain new skills, change careers or strengthen their qualifications for employment, officials said. Those interested in WIOA-approved training at Johnson College can learn more about available programs, eligibility requirements and how to get started at johnson.edu/wave or by contacting wave@johnson.edu.

Johnson College works with CareerLink to identify people in need of the training and help get them certified and funded to complete the certifications, Bechaver said.

“Every year, the state puts out a high-priority list of jobs in Lackawanna County, and every county in the state, as far as where gaps are in employment,” she added. “We look at that and see what programs we have that address those concerns, or what programs we can create that will address those concerns. We use it as our guiding light to make sure what we’re offering to the community is in line with what the community needs.”