I recently visited Moscow, Idaho, and had the opportunity to meet with students, teachers, faculty, and administrators from the school district’s health professions career technical education (CTE) program. The program was one of 15 that was funded by grants awarded by the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health this past spring that helped start or expand health professions CTE programs.
Health professions CTE courses are one way to address the severe healthcare workforce shortage in our state. Idaho has a need for just about every healthcare profession, and offering CTE programs is an effective way to prepare students for in-demand careers after they graduate. Through some programs, students can graduate with certificates and immediately enter the workforce or gain skills to help them continue into health careers offered at colleges and universities.
Idaho students have a strong desire for careers in healthcare. Idaho Launch, an initiative started by Gov. Brad Little, provides graduated seniors funding to pursue education for in-demand careers. In the first year of the program, there were more applications for healthcare professions than any other industry.
The Moscow School District’s program uses an innovative approach and a strong partnership with their local hospital, Gritman Medical Center, to prepare students to become certified nursing assistants via its health professions CTE program. The partnership between the school district and the medical center is the backbone of the program.
Staff from Gritman Medical Center teach the health professions program. Students from Moscow High and Paradise Creek Regional High are enrolled in the program. The district used the grant funding from the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health to pay for the teaching certification required for Gritman staff members to serve as instructors for the program. The students take the class on the hospital campus, giving them an up-close look at what it’s like to work in that setting. It’s a great way to engage with students and hopefully create a passion for a career.
That’s how it worked for me. I took health professions CTE classes in high school, which allowed me to explore health careers and get a huge jump start on knowledge and curriculum for college classes. My experience in my high school health professions program influenced me to pursue undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees in public health.
Moscow School District and Gritman Medical Center working together is a great example of the healthcare industry and education partnering together to address workforce needs. We want more Idaho CTE programs to use the model of partnering with health clinics and hospitals to train students for these important health professions.
To encourage more health professions CTE programs in Idaho, we will be offering another round of grants in early 2025 to help schools either launch or expand their health professions CTE programs.
Subscribe to our newsletter by visiting our website at bcidahofoundation.org to learn more about the upcoming grant and our work in building a healthier Idaho.
