The Missouri Hospital Association met on Wednesday at the Missouri Job Center to discuss the findings of their annual Workforce Survey. Area educators, employers, and workforce representatives came together to discuss and collaborate on issues facing the current healthcare workforce and how to better retain those workers.
Missouri Hospital Association members including Citizens Memorial Hospital, Cox College of Nursing, Mercy, Missouri State University, Ozarks Technical Community College, Southwest Baptist University, Missouri Department of Economic Development and State of Missouri Apprenticeship Program were in attendance to hear the findings of the study.
Presenter Jill Williams from MHA presented the main topics that came out of the study. First, place a greater emphasis on the employer/educator/workforce partner relationship to create consistent, innovative and industry-driven programs to implement in training and education programs. This will help to produce the talent pool we need, said Williams.
The study also brought to light the overall high rate of turnover in healthcare industry professions and what causes workers to leave. “Often job expectations do not meet the day-to-day realities the employee faces, Williams said. To combat this problem the group is exploring making more pre-employment apprenticeships available to potential workers.
Suzanne Richards with the Department of Economic Development presented information that affirmed that registered apprenticeship programs lead to greater retention rates, specifically paid apprenticeships. “Paid apprenticeships help participants to provide for their families while gaining skilled training and higher education in their field,” said Richards.
The group discussed the need to partner with youth for a healthcare exploration day aimed at middle and high school students to expose them to possible careers in the healthcare field. The group plans to convene a subcommittee to continue the dialog on creating a large-scale career exploration day.
For more information on the MHA survey findings, contact Jill Williams at [email protected].
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