Health Careers Collaborative wins $4.9 million stimulus grant
February 12, 2010
The Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati was awarded more than $4.9 million in federal stimulus funds Friday to support the expansion of an education and jobs readiness program that has already helped hundreds improve their lives.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is the lead partner in the grant, which will be shared by a collaborative that includes community organizations and some of the region’s leading hospital groups and educational institutions.
Since 2004 the collaborative has been helping a variety of targeted populations improve their educational and employment levels in the health care industry.
The grant will be used in Hamilton and Clermont counties to support programs involving Nursing, Allied Health, Long-Term Care and Health Information Technology.
According to an announcement from the office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio will receive more than $19 million of the $225 million in training grants released Friday (February 12) by the Labor Department through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
The Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati will receive $4,935,132, awarded to Cincinnati State on behalf of the partners.
The other partners in the collaborative are:
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center;
- Dress for Success Cincinnati;
- Great Oaks Career Campuses;
- Greater Cincinnati Workforce Network.
- Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati;
- Mercy Neighborhood Ministries;
- Miami University of Middletown;
- TriHealth;
- U.C. Clermont College;
- Workforce Investment Board/Super Jobs Centers
The Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati was launched in 2004 to address three complementary goals:
- Provide access to health care careers for underutilized labor pools, including economically disadvantaged individuals from Cincinnati’s inner city neighborhoods, low-wage incumbent workers, displaced workers, immigrants and people with disabilities;
- Alleviate regional health care workforce shortages
- Increase the diversity of the health care workforce in Greater Cincinnati.
Participants not only receive financial support for their education, they also have access to help with other types of assistance designed to help them succeed in school or advance at the workplace. Some partners in the collaborative, for example, provide computer training or GED classes, while some of the educational partners include job coaching and targeted support services in addition to classroom training. And some of the health care partners in the collaborative have hired on-site job retention specialists to work with individuals in the program.
According to Alan Jones, the current chairman of the Health Careers Collaborative, the results to date have been impressive. For example, in the past three years alone, more than 2,000 persons have been trained, with an 84 percent placement rate. More than 150 lower-wage incumbent workers have been enrolled in associate degree programs in nursing, respiratory care, surgical technician and clinical laboratory technical programs. Children’s Hospital reports that in the last five years, an embedded job coach working with the collaborative program has helped reduced turnover by 50 percent, reduced terminations related to attendance by 90 percent and improved minority retention fivefold.
“This has been a successful program, one that has helped more than 2,000 hard-working men and women already,’’ said Dr. Marianne Krismer, Dean of Health and Public Safety at Cincinnati State. “We’re grateful for the chance to scale up and expand it, and hope to be able to serve thousands more in the years to come.’’
Sr. Sally Sherman with Mercy Neighborhood Ministries Inc. described the grant as “a dream-come-true for the numerous low-wage or unemployed workers who seek the opportunity to fulfill the dream of working as a professional in health care.’’ Moreover, she noted, “this great event also coincides with another very special event, the graduation of our first cohort of Associate Degree nurses!’’
Darla Olson, employment director for TriHealth, Inc., said the DOL grant will provide additional education and career development support to employees. “TriHealth is pleased and honored to participate in the Health Careers Collaborative and look forward to partnering with the DOL grant,’’ she said. “We also see the DOL grant and the work of the HCC partners as another way to support educational opportunities and employment to our community.’’
Dr. Roberta White, President and CEO of Great Oaks Career Campuses, said the grant “is a win-win for our region and our citizens.’’ Dr. White added, “By building on the successful collaboration of education, non-profits and business, we are leveraging resources to expand career opportunities for citizens and trained workers for employers.”
