Advanced Training
has been providing education and support to active duty
military and veterans for over a decade.
We now offer educational opportunities to military
spouses in an effort to meet the need for career
oriented training in the fields of Health Care,
Information Technology and Financial Services. Our
friends have long awaited the Military Spouse Career
Advancement Initiative.
ATA is an accredited
institution with an established military relationship.
We are also a Department of Defense small
business/veteran owned contractor.
The school will be offering special military spouse
tuition that will assist those who do not qualify for
full federal financial aid. The Military Scholarship
Program will be expanded to include families of active
duty personnel. Our goal is to help the military spouses
in the San Diego area take full advantage of the
retention initiatives proposed by The Pentagon and the
US Department of Labor.
Call now and see how our experience with military life
can make in difference as you choose a new career path.
Helpful Links:
San Diego Workforce Partnership
MilSpouse.org
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Being a spouse of an active duty service member and a
mother of two girls ages 16 and 7, my priority has
always been to put my family first before myself. Sure I
took college classes at a local community college in
between deployments, sports seasons, and volunteer work,
but I never made my education a priority. Now that both
of my children are of school age, I am focusing on the
new me.
I have been reluctant to go back to school full time
because of my age and a fear that once I started school
an unexpected deployment, training mission, or navy
school would come up that my husband would have to
attend which would put us in a bind for childcare or the
inability to complete my classes. I have been out high
school for over twenty years and my husband is due to
retire from the military in a little less than four
years, but I found out about a pilot program called
Career Advancement Account (CAA) while browsing the
Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) website. I called
FFSC to inquire about the CAA program, went to
orientation, and my application for the CAA pilot
program was approved.
I did my homework and looked at other schools before
signing up for Advanced Training Associates. There are
no other schools that compare. I was impressed with
Advanced Training Associates the moment I sat down with
Malissa in Admissions to inquire about the school. I
signed my contract in September 2008, and I have felt
like part of the family ever since. Most of the staff
including instructors are veterans, current active duty
service members, or spouses of active duty service
members, so I feel right at home. Jo, the director,
takes care of her students as her own. She has always
had an open door policy for all of her students and
really gets to know each of us like family. I get more
one-on-one time with the instructors and staff because
the class sizes are smaller than most schools.
I enjoy the staff, students, and school so much that I
have told all of my friends and family about the great
education they can receive at Advanced Training
Associates. My husband, who is and OSC stationed in
Coronado, Ca, has completed the Telecommunications &
Fiber Optics course using his navy tuition assistance
(TA). Two of my neighbors in military housing have also
attended Advanced Training Associates. My next door
neighbor completed the Telecommunications & Fiber Optics
course and then stayed on as an instructor. Another
neighbor is currently enrolled in the same Medical
Assistant course as I am. We will graduate together in
May 2009.
As expected, I have had a couple of hurdles to contend
with while I have been in school, but I have maintained
a 4.0 average, missed only 2 days of school, and
remained focused on my goal. I now know that I should
not have waited so long to go back to school because I
can do it, and you can too!!! With the money I received
from the CAA program and the huge military discount I
received from Advanced Training Associates, I realized
that getting my Medical Assistant Certificate was
obtainable. The contribution I will make to the health
care field and my family after I graduate will be very
rewarding.
Sincerely,
Sandra McElfresh
Active Duty Spouse
Medical Assistant student
