(From Roanoke.com) Some were high school dropouts while others who signed up for the

certified nursing assistant program had undergraduate degrees -- and

student loans.

As diverse as they were, they had this in common: They had scoured

the recession-battered classifieds and, if they couldn't find the job

they wanted, then they would prepare themselves for what was available.

"Every job I see in the paper and online is for CNAs," said Michelle

Frith, 23, a single mother of two who lives in Salem. "I've applied for

40 jobs since April and haven't been called for a single interview."

Officials with Total Action Against Poverty are viewing their first

CNA training program as a necessity not just for the people hoping to

land work that pays, on average, $10 an hour. They're also hoping it

will reduce the severe shortage of professionals who take care of

elderly and disabled people in the Roanoke Valley.

The eight-week program has a long waiting list, with follow-up

sessions planned, and is funded by some of the first federal stimulus

funds to land in the Roanoke Valley. Conducted by nurses at Generation

Solutions, it's free to those who meet income guidelines and pass a

background check.

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