ETA News Release: [March 21, 2005]
Contact Name: Mike Volpe or Eryn Witcher
Phone Number: 202-693-3984 or 693-4676
Assistant Secretary of Labor Visits Nashville to Mark Health Care Milestones Under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco today marked gains made since the unveiling of health care sector grants under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative. DeRocco traveled to Nashville to chart progress with longtime partner HCA.
“With partnerships like the one that has been developed with HCA, the Department of Labor and businesses have been able to begin to face our healthcare challenges head-on and make considerable progress,” said DeRocco. “Our work is far from done. Meeting the needs of high tech, high growth fields will take the efforts of the entire workforce investment system, educators, and businesses that have not only jobs, but also solid careers to offer.”
HCA has been a part of several health care related grants with the Department of Labor, starting with the HCA Cares grant that awarded scholarships to workers dislocated as a result of the September 11th attacks.
HCA has also been involved in the School at Work grants in 19 states as well as partnerships to bring nurses and other allied health care professionals to the workforce more quickly. Today’s visit featured a tour of Centennial Medical Center where DeRocco and HCA Chairman and CEO Jack Bovender met with Anna Skae-Caldwell, who is in training to be a radiology technician; Glenda Merrill, an operating room technician; and critical care nurse Tamara Shoemaker.
Since an initial grant in 2001 to HCA, significant progress has been made connecting workers to unfilled jobs in the health care industry across the country. In Colorado, for example, training previously designed to last 24 months has been compressed to 18 months to fill in-demand nursing slots more quickly.
Through the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, the Department of Labor has been conducting executive forums with leaders of expanding industries to identify critical workforce gaps and issues. Solutions are then created in cooperation with employers, educational institutions and the public workforce system. For more information, visit www.doleta.gov/BRG/JobTrainInitiative/.
For more information on health care grants awarded under the President’s High Growth Job Training Initiative, visit http://www.doleta.gov/BRG/Indprof/Healthcare_investment.cfm.
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