The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) has been awarded a $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) to train workers for jobs in allied health and nursing fields currently experiencing workforce shortages.
CCBC will use the funds to train almost 2,000 students for employment in allied health and nursing fields with persistent workforce shortages. The funds will make it possible for the community college to train an additional 1,012 students for health care degrees or certificates and another 855 students for employment in the health care. Maryland currently needs an additional 2,300 registered nurses to address health care needs in the state.
"This is about jobs, jobs, jobs. It's about giving people the tools they need to keep the jobs they have and it's about preparing people who need jobs for jobs that are available in Maryland today," says Sen. Barbara Mikulski. "With these funds CCBC will train a new pipeline of workers to fill jobs in health care fields that are needed now and will be needed even more in the future. This is a win-win opportunity to help save lives, transform lives and transform communities."
CCBC will partner with Baltimore County hospitals, like St. Agnes and Kernan, Baltimore County Public Schools and the county's Office of Workforce Development to recruit students and administer training. The focus will be on training those who are looking for a job, individuals with low incomes, and employed workers seeking better pay and careers.
"This grant is a significant investment in future jobs in the health industry, an industry in which Maryland is already a national leader," says Sen. Ben Cardin. "While we are in the midst of an economic downturn, we have a labor shortage in many parts of the health industry. This Recovery Act grant is targeted to eliminate that shortage by ensuring that the Community College of Baltimore County provides the training and skills that are needed so that more Marylanders can find jobs in the growing health industry."
The grant is 1 of 55 grant awards worth more than $225 million by the DoL that will be used to train 15,000 people in job skills needed to access careers in health care, IT and other high growth fields across the country. Through existing partnerships with local employers, the recipients of the grants have already identified roughly 10,000 job openings for skilled workers that likely will become available in the next two years in areas like nursing, pharmacy technology and information technology. The grants range in value from $2 million to $5 million.
CCBC is the only grant recipient in Maryland.
"This grant comes at a time in our nation when jobs are at a premium, but when healthcare providers are badly needed," Rep. Elijah Cummings says. "As the Recovery Act nears its one year anniversary, this is another example of the Act creating opportunities for high-paying jobs here in Baltimore County. These are jobs that will stay here in America and which will help put Marylanders back to work."
The DoL grant program, known as the Health Care Growth and Emerging Industries Grants program, addresses current and forecasted workforce shortages, and provides workers with training to enter a career in a high growth or emerging industries.
The Health Care and High Growth and Emerging Industries Grants program will:
• Develop a pipeline of credentialed healthcare workers;
• Support local partnerships in executing integrated job placement and training strategies and,
• Support training with accredited institutions that lead to industry-recognized, portable credentials.
Source: Department of Labor
Writer: Walaika Haskins