Aamber lands her dream job as a nurse on Vinalhaven

Aamber Hufsey was between jobs and wanted to support her young family. A career change can be difficult for anyone, but when you live on Vinalhaven, an island that’s an hour and fifteen minute long ferry ride from the mainland, obstacles arise. Aamber met with the Workforce Solutions team and decided she wanted to work in the medical field.

She enrolled in a CNA course through the Mid-Coast School of Technology, with help from Workforce Solutions. Aamber needed to ride the ferry three days a week and sleep in hotels twice a week to make her clinicals. Aamber received the H1B Grant, and that helped pay for her tuition and supplies for the course.

She passed her state exam on her first try and became a CNA.

“I felt like I was ready,” Amber said. “Everyone made sure everything was laid out and the kids were taken care of so I could really focus on what I was learning.”

Working on Vinalhaven

Jessica Sandborn, HR and risk management director for Islands Community Medical Services, said Vinalhaven’s size limits the labor pool.

“We really only have so many people that we can pull from that have an education that fits well with what we need here at the medical center,” Jessica said. “So when Amber came to us in January, it was the perfect pairing. We had a need and she filled it with exactly the educational background that we were looking for. We couldn’t have asked for a better fit.”

Aamber’s career change lead her to a job as a CNA on the island. She started out as part-time and now is working full-time hours. Aamber loves her job and making competitive wages with a lot of growth potential.

“I got the grant and things have just gone up and up from here,” she said. “I never imagined working here, and now I’m getting trained in more things. Like I really am contributing to the town of Vinalhaven.”

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