CCRI, CVS Health team up for pharmacy technician training

WARWICK – The Community College of Rhode Island is partnering with CVS Health, the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training and Skills for Rhode Island’s Future to train students hoping to enter the pharmacy field as technicians.

The Pharmacy Technician II training program introduces students to various pharmacy settings and covers drug classes, basic physiology, drug interactions and daily pharmacy operations. Students in the program learn to effectively assist in pharmaceutical preparations, complete daily required tasks in any pharmacy environment, and gain on-the-job instruction through an externship. This class also prepares students to take the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam. Participants attend the program 20 hours per week for 12 weeks.

The program, which began Sept. 24, is free through funding provided by the Department of Labor and Training’s Real Jobs Rhode Island initiative. Skills for Rhode Island’s Future is overseeing recruitment and placement.

This is the first major initiative of CCRI’s rebranded Division of Workforce Partnerships and part of the college’s effort to help CVS Health and the health care sector in Rhode Island grow its pipeline of talent.

“The division is committed to partnering with industry and business leaders to align our programs with the state’s economic and workforce priorities to advance the education and career prospects of our students,” said Julian L. Alssid, vice president of workforce partnerships at CCRI.

“As the skills gap in the U.S. widens, CVS Health recognizes the important role externships, which offer on-thejob training with classroom instruction, play in building a pipeline of future skilled talent,” said David Casey, vice president, workforce strategies, and chief diversity officer. “By working with our partners, we are able to provide traditionally underserved groups with opportunities for employment at CVS Pharmacy, as well as help build a talented and diverse workforce for our company.”

“Today, workforce development in Rhode Island is employer-driven and nimble, and this training program is evidence of that,” said DLT Director Scott Jensen.

“We are thrilled to have had a role in helping this demand-driven training model come to fruition. It makes a world of difference to have an employer at the table with confidence in both the curriculum and the candidates. Programs like this are not just adding skills to a résumé. They are laying out a life-changing career path for our unemployed and underemployed talent where it didn’t previously exist,” said Nina Pande, executive director of Skills for Rhode Island’s Future.