PTC will partner with nine other two-year colleges across the country in a $19.6 million federal workforce training grant that targets the health professions. The U.S. Department of Labor announced the grant in September as part of a $500 million round of workforce training awards to community colleges by the Obama administration.
Under the three-year grant program, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College will take the lead in the partnership program in what will be known as the “Health Professions Consortium.” Part of the impetus for the grant came from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a result of its research into a pioneering health workforce training program launched in Cincinnati. That program, known as the Health Careers Collaborative, has seen Cincinnati State, hospitals, and other organizations work together to help individuals acquire needed training to land jobs, or to improve their chances for promotion if they already have jobs.
Joining Cincinnati State and Pine Technical College in the grant program are: Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Minn.; El Centro College and Texarkana College, Texas; Ashland Community and Technical College and Jefferson Community and Technical College, Ky.; Owens Community College, Ohio; City Colleges of Chicago, Ill.; and Community College of the District of Columbia.
The consortium has three major goals:
• Provide low-skilled workers with adequate preparation, support and opportunities to complete postsecondary training in health professions that provide credentials aligned with job advancement;
• Expand and enhance the health care workforce with the competencies needed by industry;
• Build the capacity of community colleges to continuously assess student and employment outcomes and use the information to improve the quality of health professions programs.
PTC’s share of the grant totals about $1.7 million, and the college, in conjunction with the Healthcare Alliance, plans to expand its programs in healthcare training fields. The college currently offers programs in long-term care, nursing, and general health science, and with support from the grant, the college is tentatively planning to offer additional programs in limited scope X-ray technology, certified medical assisting (CMA), as well as phlebotomy and EKG certificates.
“This is an exciting moment for Pine Technical College. This grant will allow us to expand job training in healthcare, as well as work toward meeting critical workforce shortages in the industry,” says Robert Musgrove, Ph.D., Pine Technical College President. “The demand for healthcare professionals is expected to continue growing, and with our strategic partnership with the Healthcare Alliance, we remain on the forefront of pursuing innovative ways to expand our programs to strengthen the development of a skilled workforce. I congratulate all our partners on securing this significant award,” Musgrove adds.
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