Workforce Connect Healthcare Sector Partnership

Health Care in Northeast Ohio
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*Source: Team NEO (teamneo.org)
About the Partnership
In 2018, the Cuyahoga County Council approved up to $1 million for a new training initiative to address staffing needs in health care, information technology and manufacturing. Subsequently, Workforce Connect was developed with the goal of connecting workers to well-paying careers. Building on existing systems, Workforce Connect is looking to realign systems so that they are more effective and efficient. Working toward this goal, three intermediaries were selected to act as a nexus for workforce development, talent access and leading systemic change in the three in-demand sectors.
The mission of the Workforce Connect Healthcare Sector Partnership is to address the critical shortage of health care talent for Northeast Ohio employers by building a strong, diverse talent pipeline. This partnership is key to the development of training programs that prepare local residents to step into jobs that offer family-sustaining wages, improve economic opportunity for the county and reduce racial disparities in economic outcomes.
Partner Hospitals
The Workforce Connect Healthcare Sector Partnership collaborates with the region’s top hospitals — Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, MetroHealth, Southwest General, VA Northeast Ohio and St. Vincent Charity Medical Center — to understand issues around in-demand health care careers, identify and analyze training and programs, and build a long-term strategy to address shortages.
Hospital Partner Priorities:
- Expand talent pipelines, with a focus on under-resourced neighborhoods with high unemployment/poverty
- Align supply/demand between employers and regional training providers
- Increase youth exposure to in-demand health care careers
Intermediary Services
- Convene diverse groups for authentic engagement
- Collect and track data, develop central repository and provide best practices
- Research market trends, provide insights for employers and share changes
- Develop education materials and identify ecosystems
- Outline practical, racial and economic disparities in health care
- Provide administrative support and buy-in influence
- Help stakeholders with identify goals and objectives
- Link education providers with the business community
Target Careers
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Nurse | Nursing Assistant | Medical Lab Technician | Phlebotomist | Pharmacy Technician | Surgical Technologist |
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Sterile Processing Technician | Medical Assistant |
Respiratory Therapist |
Nutrition Services Assistant (Entry Level) |
Environmental Services Technician (Entry Level) |
Potential Community Partners
Workforce Partners
- New Bridge CLE
- Towards Employment
- Ohio Guidestone
- Youth Opportunities Unlimited
- El Barrio
Education Partners
- Cuyahoga Community College
- Lakeland Community College
- Lorain Community College
- Cuyahoga Valley Career Center
- Medina County Career Center
- Polaris Career Center
Other Partners
- College Now
- Ohio Means Jobs
- Literacy Cooperative
- Say Yes to Education