Marion Chamber of Commerce recently issued the following announcement.
Marion Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) is pleased to announce the award of an Employer Innovation Grant from the State of Iowa. The dollars will support a new partnership between Community Promise, the Marion Independent School District, Kirkwood Community College and Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. Community Promise is a program powered by MEDCO that promotes high demand careers and develops pathways for students to pursue those careers in the community.
“This opportunity will give students hands on healthcare experience as they contemplate future careers. If healthcare is their calling, this program provides an immediate opportunity for them to be employed in the local workforce,” says Emily Russ, Workforce and Communications Manager for MEDCO.
Employer Innovation Grant dollars will make it possible for Marion High School students to receive their Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) license during a spring class that formed to connect students to local healthcare pathways at Mercy Medical Center. Students are currently participating in CNA training through the Patient Care Academy at the Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center. Upon completing the CNA training, students will transition to paid work alongside healthcare professionals within Mercy Medical Center. Grant dollars will fund CNA licensure costs, costs of student transportation to Mercy Medical Center, as well as uniforms for students.
This unique opportunity for students to receive certification training during the day is key to overcoming barriers such as extracurricular activities in the evenings, students with part-time jobs, and other factors. A top job posting on IowaWorks.gov is Nursing Assistants. This project will directly impact the pipeline of qualified individuals into that position while helping students to pursue other healthcare certifications beyond the CNA. Future Ready Iowa developed the Employer Innovation Grant as an opportunity for employers and community partners to create innovative solutions to local workforce issues. This is just one example of community partners working together to creatively fill workforce needs now and into the future.
“This is truly a success story and shows how creative solutions can be reached when you have the right partners at the table. I’m so excited to see our students have this opportunity,” said Tom Kettmann, High School Counselor at Marion High School.
“We’re thrilled to work with MEDCO and Kirkwood on this innovative way to help us address staffing needs. It is a win-win for students interested in healthcare, and for us, as we introduce them to the many opportunities that healthcare has to offer,” says Mary Brobst, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and CNO, Mercy Medical Center. “Mercy is a rewarding place to work and we’re glad that students will get the chance to experience that as they plan for the future.”
For more information about Community Promise, visit https://www.communitypromise.org/. For more information about Future Ready Iowa Employer Innovation Grants, visit https://www.futurereadyiowa.gov/innovation.
Original source can be found here.
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