RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL EDUCATION TRUST/UNAP
Rhode Island Hospital Education Trust/UNAP
Healthcare Industry Partner
Manager Employer Relations
Task: Consulted for the Rhode Island Hospital Education Trust/UNAP to identify healthcare workforce needs, labor market trends, and career pathways which could be designed to meet the demands of Rhode Island healthcare organizations through education and workforce training.
Specifics: While I was accountable for diverse outcomes in my role, one of the highlights was the initiative to properly align high school and postsecondary education requirements with industry needs in the healthcare field. To achieve this, I co-delivered the 2016 CCRI Healthcare Convening for the RI Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner. Attendees included the Governor’s Workforce Board, the RI Department of Labor and Training, major healthcare employers, and higher education providers. In this convening, we identified and validated the staffing needs of the healthcare industry for the upcoming 2-5 years, determined priority jobs based on those needs and the quality of the positions, identified gaps in the existing education and training system related to filling those jobs over the next five years, and discussed curriculum needs to be addressed to align industry to education. The session was followed by several individual focus groups to create action plans around the identified gaps.
Outcome: By the conclusion of the training and subsequent focus groups, it was decided which healthcare positions required investment in training by the State of Rhode Island.
How I Worked with Rhode Island Hospital Education Trust/UNAP
For two years, I served as the Employer Relations Manager for Healthcare from Rhode Island Hospital Education Trust/UNAP. In that time, my responsibilities included meeting individuals in the healthcare industry throughout the state, cataloguing their skills needs, and--where possible--matching their needs with education providers.
While I met with hospitals, physicians, long-term care facilities, physical therapy and many others, there was a constant concern that many of the individuals they employed needed more education, professional skills training, and/or clinical hours before they were prepared “to go live” in their field.
To do this, incentives and training were offered, but the consensus remained that both parties needed an opportunity and forum to speak together to share opinions and gain a mutual understanding. The Healthcare Convening was intended to address those questions. I worked concurrently with the 2016 Commissioner of Higher Education to write and deliver much of the material presented that day and held many of the breakout sessions. At the conclusion, the feedback was positive, and the follow-up monthly sessions led to positive recommendations to align healthcare curriculum and industry.