The publication recently spoke with Christine Jensen, Pennsylvania CareerLink administrator in Hazleton and Wilkes-Barre, who said the demand is high in the area. Specifically, she pointed to Pennsylvania’s High Priority Occupation list, which shows the workforce needs of the commonwealth.
“Of the 134 occupations on the HPO list for Luzerne and Schuylkill counties, 20 percent of them are in the healthcare field,” Ms. Jensen told Standard-Speaker. “If you just search our website, www.jobgateway.pa.gov, using the keyword ‘nurse,’ you find 429 results within a 25-mile radius of Hazleton. Everyone is looking, including nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, home healthcare agencies, staffing agencies, mental health facilities and substance abuse facilities.”
Meanwhile, colleges and high schools are working to help healthcare organizations fill their staffing needs. According to the report, local education entities offer programs to train nurses, health and medical and clinical assistants and aides, as well as various technicians and technologists, including phlebotomy and surgical.
For example, the report states, Luzerne County Community College, a two-year community college located in Nanticoke, Pa., offers a two-year program to train registered nurses, which next year will matriculate into a four-year nursing degree. Dental programs are also available at Luzerne.
Additionally, Lackawanna College, based in Scranton, Pa., offers sonography and next year will offer a certified nursing assistant program in Hazleton.
Given the high demand for medical jobs, CareerLink is offering a healthcare industry event from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 10 in Hazleton to connect job candidates with employers.
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