7 communities picked for federal healthcare job program

The White House has chosen seven communities as pilot sites for its new Health Career Pathways program, a federal initiative aimed at expanding career pathways and connecting Americans to healthcare jobs, according to The Sacramento Bee.

In the next decade, 3.5 million new U.S. jobs will be created in the healthcare sector, while today hundreds of thousands of entry-level and middle-skilled roles in healthcare are sitting unfilled, the White House said.

Under the federal government's new initiative, seven communities across the U.S. — which contain 15 health systems, 11 community colleges and systems, seven workforce boards and 12 community-based organizations — will adopt a common career pathways model and support more than 1,000 disadvantaged Americans with training and placement into jobs with approaches such as paid internships and career counseling.

Here is what the seven communities have committed to, as stated by the White House.

In Grand Rapids and Muskegon, Mich., Mercy Health West Michigan, a regional health ministry of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health, will interview all candidates that meet agreed-upon hiring agreements and are referred to them by the public workforce system, West Michigan Works, which will work with Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Montcalm Community Colleges, NAACP and Goodwill to find and train up to 300 people annually for healthcare professions.
In Minneapolis, Fairview Health Services is partnering with the Minneapolis Workforce Board, HealthForce Minnesota and Minnesota Higher Education Institutions to offer 170 new nursing apprenticeships and hire and offer paid student internships to up to 200 low-income workers and students.
In Denver, Centura Health, UC Health, Denver Health, Kaiser Permanente, SCL Health, HealthOne andChildren's Hospital of Colorado are working through the Greater Metro Denver Healthcare Partnership with the four metro Denver Regional Workforce Centers, the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Community College System and others to more effectively define competencies, improve training and place 125 unemployed or underemployed individuals this year.
In Bronx, Westchester and Hudson Valley, N.Y., Montefiore Health System is committing to work with community colleges, local universities, labor-management training and education funds and community partners to offer 350 new unemployed or underemployed individuals paid internships over the next five years to improve candidates' qualifications and competitiveness for permanent positions.
In New York City, Great Neck, N.Y.-based Northwell Health is promoting innovative, quality healthcare education and workforce development by working with Healthcare Career Advancement Program, Long Island STEM Hub and local colleges. According to the White House, they will expand veterans' jobs opportunities in healthcare and provide new work-based training opportunities for low-income individuals through partnerships with community organizations.
In Charlotte, N.C., Carolinas HealthCare System is partnering with Goodwill Industries, Charlotte Works, Urban League of Charlotte and Dress for Success, along with community colleges in the area, to expand opportunities to prepare individuals for entry-level non-clinical roles. They will also work with the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Systemand the Mayor's Youth Employment Program to provide up to 150 internships for local high school and college students.
In Sacramento, Calif., San Francisco-based Dignity Health, Sacramento-based Sutter Health, Sacramento-based UC Davis Health System and Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente will develop competency models for allied health and other critical professions that will lead to long-term career pathways.

7 communities picked for federal healthcare job program

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