Photo: Akram Huseyn/Unsplash
The healthcare employee pool is shrinking. A new program for high school students has been created to help address the shortfall in skilled medical professionals.
by Terri DeeIllinois News Connection
CHICAGO - The healthcare employee pool is shrinking - and as the medical profession faces increases in demand for mental health treatment, chronic illness management, and an aging population - a new program hopes high school students can step in. Competition is tight between healthcare organizations and providers needing accredited and skilled talent. Online educational provider MedCerts Vice President of Partnerships and Workforce Development, Jennifer Kolb, said the program is designed to generate students' interest in healthcare fields and get them trained. "How do we build a pipeline of talent that is certified - a new generation of people interested in healthcare to go into these roles?" said Kolb. "And where do we get the talent from?" Kolb said since 2019, the average hospital has spent or lost about $24 million - or about $7,000 to $9,000 a day - due to workforce turnover. The MedCerts program has partnerships with local businesses and eLearning training providers. Kolb said the goal is to have full-time, entry-level jobs ready for the students when they graduate from high school. MedCerts partners with Madison County through the Medical Assistant Apprenticeships program with the Health Sisters Hospital System in Illinois. There are more than 50 training offerings, including sterile processing technicians, surgical technologists, and pharmacy technicians. Kolb said the certifications can be earned in three to six months, and the program offers a Pay to Career pipeline that allows the student to earn on-the-job college credit. "Ninety-five percent of healthcare employers have a tuition reimbursement program as an employee benefit," said Kolb, "and they can use their employee benefit to go to college." The college credit can be applied to a four-year institution for advanced medical careers, such as nursing. State and federal dollars and employers fund the program, so the student has no financial obligations. According to the state, 13% of Illinois schools offer a health sciences and technology curriculum.
