VINELAND -- The medical field remains a strong industry even during these rough economic times. On Tuesday, NBC 40 caught up with some recent Cumerland County graduates who are celebrating the start of new and exciting careers.

"If you open up a newspaper in the classifieds, the jobs are all healthcare, 75 percent are healthcare and basically that was where I had to go." said graduate Timothy Thomas.

The economic future is bright for these members of the Cumberland County Technical Education Center's 50th graduating class of licensed practical nurses.

"It's one of our largest classes. We're graduating 53 students out of 60 that started in September and it's, we're just so proud of them," said Cumberland County Technical Education Center principal Todd Bonsall.

Each graduate has a story; Timothy Thomas has numerous family members in the nursing field, Thomas Coulter's mom graduated from this very program seven years ago. And some, like Davina Sanderlin, are here because of the added job security.

"I worked at Sheild Allow Metalurgical in Newfield for 18 years, and I watched the company downsize year after year and I knew that it eventually was going to be my turn to be let go." Sanderlin said.

Davina and a few other sudents utilized Cumberland County "One Stop," an organization that provides employment aid.

"They take you and they teach you how to write a resume and there's mini courses and then there's online for finding jobs. They have unemployment staffed right in the one stop building. If you have any unemployment problems, rather than calling unemployment and being on the phone a long time, they're very very helpful," she said.

Eleven weeks of instensive schooling and traning are done, but the work has just begun.

"I really want to work in a hospital for a couple of years. But, honesly, I've been broke for the last 11 months, si I'll have to find a job wherever I can." Thomas said.

The 53 LPN's that graduated aren't totally out of the woods yet. They will officially enter the workforce only after they pass one more national board exam in the next few weeks.