Beginning in 2022, the Westchester County Association’s Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program placed and trained 100 workers with regional healthcare providers. The initiative funded by a grant from Westchester County has an annual economic impact of more than $3.5 million.
“WCA is very grateful to Westchester County for additional program funding so we can continue to work with our partners to train more job seekers this year and help healthcare employers fill 100 more in-demand positions,” says Jason Chapin, the director of workforce development at WCA.
The Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program helps people with a variety of barriers get employed through education and skills training. It also seeks to serve employers and industries with large talent shortages. The county gives participants $1,000 stipends to help them cover expenses while in training and job searching.
The program’s healthcare employer partners include ENT & Allergy Associates, Summit Health, Open Door Family Medical Center, and United Hebrew of New Rochelle. Recruitment for the program is led by WCA, Nonprofit Westchester, Westchester Community College, Southern Westchester BOCES, Carrer Centers, DSS Office of Work Activities, and partners.
A Study in Success
Heading into the summer of 2023, Evania Pereira was looking for a job. Then, she attended a job fair and learned about the WCA Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program. She applied to enter the clinical medical assistant program and was admitted for the summer session.
“It helped me a lot financially at the time and also encouraged me to help others,” Pereira says. “I learned skills related to being a clinical medical assistant. I also learned CPR, mental first aid, and infectious diseases.”
The program helps train people for a variety of jobs such as clinical medical assistant, medical administrative assistant, and certified nursing assistant (CNA). It specifically tries to reach people with barriers to employment and employers facing talent shortages.
While still in the summer program, Pereira got a job at Westchester Medical Center. She is currently working as a call center representative but will be transferring to a full-time clinical medical assistant position in March.
Another current employee at Westchester Medical Center, Verrendi Wallace credits her job to the WCA Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program. Wallace started the program in 2022 and finished a few months later by passing her exams at the end of the summer.
“I was going through public assistance at the time and I either had to get a job or go back to school,” says Wallace. “The program helped pay for school so I ended up doing the medical administrative assistant program.”
As a single mother with a newborn, Wallace faced challenges during the program. She took online courses for the most part and found that it was important to apply herself. After staying in touch with the school and program, she was hired as a medical assistant at Westchester Medical Center in July.
“My favorite part of my job is interacting with the patients,” Wallace says. “I love seeing how happy it makes people to know that they can finally get the treatment that they have been struggling to get for a long time.”
While Wallace enjoys her job, she still opens all of the emails she gets from the program related to new career opportunities. Since graduating from the program, Wallace says she is always looking to advance her career and have a higher-paying job.
“They have all these program options for anyone who needs and wants them,” says Wallace. “Everyone is there to help you and give you the resources you need to advance your career.”
Entry Into a Booming Industry
The Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program helps people get jobs as the industry continues to grow in and out of Westchester County. The healthcare sector is the largest growth sector in the Hudson Valley. It employs over 60,000 people and generates $18 billion in economic activity, according to the WCA.
For those who want to expand their career horizons, there are also a variety of in-demand regional healthcare jobs that aren’t offered in the talent pipeline program. Some of those jobs include a licensed practical nurse, nursing assistant, clinical laboratory technician, pharmacy technician, radiology technician, respiratory therapist, and more.
That being said, the WCA Healthcare Talent Pipeline Program is ideal for anyone looking for entry into the industry. Successful candidates in the program will earn a NYS-approved training credential, receive job training, and connect with leading healthcare partners in Westchester County.
“I would definitely encourage many people to apply for this program,” Wallace says. “They help in so many different areas, especially if you are not financially there. They can always help you where you are lacking.”
For more information and to register for the program, contact ossining@sunywcc.edu or call 914.606.7400. If you are 18 or older, contact the Westchester Putnam Career Center (914.813.6555) to find out if you are eligible to attend these classes at no cost.