Reading, PA – Reading Area Community College (RACC) has been awarded $125,000 from Truist Bank to support nursing student scholarships.

Over the next two years, the award will be used to fund scholarships to students enrolled in the nursing (RN) and practical nursing (LPN) programs in the most impactful way possible.

In Pennsylvania, employment growth in the healthcare sector is projected to be 2.5 times the average for all other occupations over the next ten years. While the Commonwealth faced an identified healthcare worker crisis before the COVID-19, the shortage was compounded by workers leaving the profession during the pandemic. 

“Truist is proud to partner with Reading Area Community College in helping their nursing students prepare for the next step in life. Our company’s purpose is to ‘Inspire and build better lives and communities’ and funding these scholarships gives us the opportunity to help fulfill that purpose here in Berks County” said Truist Market President David Roland.

Pennsylvania would need 50,000 more employees in the healthcare sector by 2026, not including the replacement needs of those who left the field for other work or retirement. In Berks County, the sector is comprised of 25,146 workers, or 13.6% of the workforce. While the two top in-demand professions are Registered and Licensed Practical Nurses, there are many current openings for lab technicians and other healthcare related positions as well.

RACC President Dr. Susan Looney, says, “This grant will immediately benefit our nursing students who are highly prepared and ready to enter the regional healthcare workforce.”

The Weitz Hall at RACC is being transformed into the Weitz Healthcare Pavilion. RACC is completely redesigning its Weitz Hall, merging classrooms currently scattered between two buildings into one cohesive building specifically tailored to the needs of a competitive Health Sciences program. The renovation will allow RACC to address the current healthcare crisis by increasing the graduates of its Health Sciences programs by 80%. This renovation will last eighteen months and has started this May 2023, and will be completed in the late fall 2024.

RACC President Dr. Susan Looney, says, “This grant will immediately benefit our nursing students who are highly prepared and ready to enter the regional healthcare workforce.”

To learn more about health professions programs at RACC, contact admissions@racc.edu, 610.607.6224 or 800.626.1665.

About Truist
Truist Financial Corporation (NYSE: TFC) is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Truist has leading market share in many high-growth markets in the country and offers a wide range of products and services through our retail and small business banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, insurance, wealth management, and specialized lending businesses. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist is a top 10 U.S. commercial bank with total assets of $543 billion as of September 30, 2023. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at Truist.com.