Education and Training for Career and Human Development
Free, Hands-on Training for the Healthcare and Building Trades Fields
The SOME Center for Employment Training (CET) is a licensed post-secondary vocational school. We offer free, hands-on training in the healthcare and building trades fields. In addition to providing technical instruction—in areas such as CPR, First Aid, Heating and Venting—we also train our students in the soft skills they need to land a job.
We help them build their résumés, and we teach them how to write a cover letter and excel in an interview. Graduates of our CET program earn on average $20/hour, more than DC’s minimum wage. All students have access to our other services, including healthcare, transportation support, clothing support, and food support. We apply our Whole Person approach to training and education, creating an environment where our students can move themselves out of poverty and into living wage careers.
Apply for Training or Become an Employer Partner
All students at our Center for Employment Training (CET) must complete an externship as part of their program. We partner with local healthcare facilities and businesses to create these opportunities for our students. Every student is pre-screened to ensure they meet the specific requirements of our employer partners.
Prospective Students
Apply for Training
A high school diploma or GED is not required, and the CET program is open to applicants with criminal histories.
Employer Partners
Become an Employer Partner
Employer partners can serve as externship sites or host career development days at our training facility.
Education and Workforce Development by the Numbers
100+
Adult students receive intensive job training through our Center for Employment Training (CET) per year
100%
Employed graduates participating in the CET program’s retention services remained employed for at least one year following graduation
80%
Graduates employed after completing our Center for Employment Training program
$20/hour
Average hourly wage earned by our Center for Employment Training graduates
How We Celebrate Our Graduates
When graduates of our Center for Employment Training (CET) receive a job offer, they’re invited back to our training headquarters, at the Conway Center, to ring a bell that’s hung outside of the classrooms. When they do, the classrooms and nearby offices empty as students and instructors fill the hallways to congratulate them. For many of them it’s been a long, demanding journey, and this is their moment to celebrate all of their hard work. Watch the video here to see how we support and honor our students at the CET.