Published: Wednesday, February 16, 2011
EdCC pilot places low-income workers into health care jobs
LYNNWOOD — Edmonds Community College officials are scheduled to launch a program this spring quarter aimed at training low-income adults for jobs in health care.
The CATCH program, Creating Access to Careers in Healthcare, will offer training to 500 low-income Snohomish County adults for jobs in allied health professions, including pharmacy, phlebotomy and EKG technicians. CATCH is expected to become a model for Washington state, college officials said.
“If the pilot can be successful, this approach has the opportunity to be broadened,” said John House, CATCH program director.
Last fall, the college received a federal grant for $1.4 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to fund the first year of the CATCH program.
CATCH is designed to bridge the gap between poverty in the county and regional shortages in health services by offering training to help students advance into better paying jobs.
The training will be a combination of online learning, hands-on skills labs and clinical work experience at partner health care facilities. Students will train for such jobs as a pharmacy technician or clinical laboratory assistant. After, they can continue their education to advance their career.
House said there’s a special process involved with qualifying as a CATCH student. Hopefuls must be low-income and go through barrier and career assessments. These assessments will help students define their school and career goals and see if the program is a good fit. Barriers such as lack of transportation or having enough time are identified to help students succeed.
“We’re grounded in the notion of having no barriers,” House said. “The online component can help people overcome initial barriers.”
House served as the director of special projects for the Center for Learning Connections at Highline Community College. Previously he worked on statewide projects training frontline staff for WorkFirst and developing job-hunter curriculum for the Employment Security Department.
Health care jobs are appealing and a suitable career choice, House said. He employs the “High 5” to illustrate his point: these jobs are high in demand, skills, technology, have the potential for high wages and employees show high satisfaction.
House pointed out the baby boomer generation is growing older and living longer due to advancements in medicine. This is putting an increasing demand on health care.
“Advances in health care in general create a variety of opportunities and jobs,” he said.
Additionally, these jobs are attractive as they offer the potential for high-wage jobs along with the opportunity to advance educationally by starting with a certificate and working towards associate and bachelor’s degrees.
At a time when people are required to do more at their jobs, having a measurable skill helps make people look more appealing to employers, House said.
“Jobs are scarce. If you have measurable skills, you’re marketable and add value to your organization,” he said.
The college is offering the CATCH program through partnerships with such agencies as the Workforce Development Council of Snohomish County, Everett Community College and the Department of Social and Health Services, to name a few.
For more information about allied health education and training at EdCC, visit www.edcc.edu/ahe.
The CATCH program, Creating Access to Careers in Healthcare, will offer training to 500 low-income Snohomish County adults for jobs in allied health professions, including pharmacy, phlebotomy and EKG technicians. CATCH is expected to become a model for Washington state, college officials said.
“If the pilot can be successful, this approach has the opportunity to be broadened,” said John House, CATCH program director.
Last fall, the college received a federal grant for $1.4 million from the Department of Health and Human Services to fund the first year of the CATCH program.
CATCH is designed to bridge the gap between poverty in the county and regional shortages in health services by offering training to help students advance into better paying jobs.
The training will be a combination of online learning, hands-on skills labs and clinical work experience at partner health care facilities. Students will train for such jobs as a pharmacy technician or clinical laboratory assistant. After, they can continue their education to advance their career.
House said there’s a special process involved with qualifying as a CATCH student. Hopefuls must be low-income and go through barrier and career assessments. These assessments will help students define their school and career goals and see if the program is a good fit. Barriers such as lack of transportation or having enough time are identified to help students succeed.
“We’re grounded in the notion of having no barriers,” House said. “The online component can help people overcome initial barriers.”
House served as the director of special projects for the Center for Learning Connections at Highline Community College. Previously he worked on statewide projects training frontline staff for WorkFirst and developing job-hunter curriculum for the Employment Security Department.
Health care jobs are appealing and a suitable career choice, House said. He employs the “High 5” to illustrate his point: these jobs are high in demand, skills, technology, have the potential for high wages and employees show high satisfaction.
House pointed out the baby boomer generation is growing older and living longer due to advancements in medicine. This is putting an increasing demand on health care.
“Advances in health care in general create a variety of opportunities and jobs,” he said.
Additionally, these jobs are attractive as they offer the potential for high-wage jobs along with the opportunity to advance educationally by starting with a certificate and working towards associate and bachelor’s degrees.
At a time when people are required to do more at their jobs, having a measurable skill helps make people look more appealing to employers, House said.
“Jobs are scarce. If you have measurable skills, you’re marketable and add value to your organization,” he said.
The college is offering the CATCH program through partnerships with such agencies as the Workforce Development Council of Snohomish County, Everett Community College and the Department of Social and Health Services, to name a few.
For more information about allied health education and training at EdCC, visit www.edcc.edu/ahe.