Owensboro's efforts to prepare a workforce for the growing health care industry was showcased at a national gathering of workforce and economic development leaders from 20 states and the District of Columbia. The Owensboro Community and Technical College is one of five colleges nationally to receive grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and identified as a "leadership college" in the Jobs for the Future initiative. Much of this leadership has been focused on creating a highly skilled workforce in the health care industry.
As the nation's population ages and grows more diverse and as the demand for health care increases, the region will need a strong system for developing both human resources and innovative approaches to learning. Direct care workers, such as nurse assistants, nurse aides and home health workers, will constitute one of the largest and fastest growing workforces in the region, particularly to low income wage earners and young people entering the workforce. The demand will also continue to be great for nurses, health information technology workers, and public health workers.
Considering the Greater Owensboro region has 30 percent more people over age 65 than the national average, partnerships between OCTC and the Owensboro Medical Health System will be critical for our region to meet these demands. The newly announced Greater Owensboro Academy Life Sciences, which will allow students from regional high schools begin many health care programs while they are in high school, will be critical in helping meet the demand for entry level positions.
Visit the Jobs for the Future website for more information about these programs: http://www.jff.org/projects/current/workforce/jobs-careers/115 or http://www.jff.org/projects/current/workforce/breaking-through/20 for information about OCTC's role as a leadership college in Breaking Through.
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