Workforce Connect Healthcare Sector Partnership

Web slide with medical person holding tablet and words bringing top hospitals together with the community to address critical health care worker shortages

Health Care in Northeast Ohio

Infographic of $22 billion health care industry

Infographic of 21% Growth of Health Care Occupations

Infographic of 270,000 health care workers

*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


Nurse	Nursing Assistant	Medical Lab Technician	Phlebotomist	Pharmacy Technician	Surgical Technologist

Sterile Processing Technician	Medical Assistant	Respiratory Therapist	Nutrition Services Assistant (Entry Level)	Environmental Services Technician (Entry Level)