Facebook pixel St. Louis Community College receives support to train new healthcare workers

St. Louis Community College receives support to train new healthcare workers

St. Louis Community College (STLCC) is receiving much needed support from Bank of America to enhance the College’s patient care technician (PCT) program, with a focus on recruiting and training displaced hospitality workers. The College will receive a $100,000 grant to cover tuition costs, books, supplies and other costs for students to complete the PCT training program that will teach them day-to-day patient care skills used in local hospitals. Applications for the program are open and those interested can apply by visiting the STLCC website. Courses are currently set to begin after shelter-in-place orders and hospital entry restrictions are lifted, however, STLCC is in the process of creating online-course capabilities for the PCT program.

The College will partner with Explore St. Louis and the Regional Business Council to identify and connect with displaced hospitality workers, as well as use STL.works to promote the patient care technician cohorts. The grant will support two cohorts of approximately 16 students each.

“Bank of America’s generous grant funds will help the College give hope to people in our community who may have recently lost their jobs,” said Dr. Jeff L. Pittman, chancellor, St. Louis Community College. “The patient care technician program can help participating students get a fresh start while also addressing the growing need for more healthcare workers.”

The grant was awarded in anticipation of an increased need for employment and healthcare workers in the coming months. STLCC is partnering with SSM Health, a healthcare leader headquartered in St. Louis. SSM Health will employ the students in the high-demand healthcare field and offer a variety of advancement opportunities. The accelerated program will combine classroom and lab instruction with hands-on clinical experience.

“We’re proud to be a part of this collaboration with St. Louis Community College and SSM Health to provide support for individuals to begin their careers in healthcare who in turn, will deliver vital services to our St. Louis community,” said Marilyn Bush, St. Louis market president, Bank of America..

Bank of America’s grant is part of its $100 million global commitment to help increase medical response capacity and provide support to the world’s most vulnerable populations. PCT offers employment in a healthcare occupation that will help address a current shortfall and is expected to grow 14 percent from 2018 to 2028 (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019), much faster than the average for all other occupations.

“SSM Health is proud to partner with St. Louis Community College to fill the workforce needs in our growing industry,” said Candace Jennings, regional president, SSM Health in St. Louis. “This grant will allow us to partner with STLCC to give more students opportunities to realize their career goals and to provide critical resources during this time.”

Students who participate in the first cohort of the program will be placed at partnering hospitals: DePaul Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital.

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