Growth and development opportunities
education and training
It’s a complex situation.
We know we can’t recruit our way out of this. Our training and retaining initiatives are being designed to make it easier for current and prospective employees to move into jobs that are in high demand. Wherever we can, we are exploring strategies to reduce or eliminate the financial and logistical obstacles that can stand in the way of people looking for jobs in health care.
A selection of our programs includes:
Paramedic Education Program
This 18-month program at Elizabethtown Community Hospital is the first paramedic training course in the area to be accredited by the New York State Department of Health.
The most recent class included 19 students, with full placement into available jobs. Additional candidates are needed for this growing field.
Nurse Residency Program
Nurse residency and training programs for RN, LPN, LNA and CNA positions exist across the UVM Health Network to help employees transition into new roles and gain experience in a supportive environment.
Pathways Programs
These programs, which are in operation across the UVM Health Network, allow employees to expand their skills, progress from one position to another and develop their careers by providing training and educational resources.
Examples include the Medical Assistant (MA) Pathway Program, the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Pathway Program and the Registered Nurse (RN) Pathway Program.
Surgical Tech Pathway Program
A growing initiative, this program is providing on-the-job education opportunities to train the next generation of surgical technicians in Vermont and New York.
Participants receive comprehensive surgical tech training at no cost, while at the same time being paid for their work with the UVM Health Network. In New York, we partner with Clinton Community College and Mohawk Valley Community College to help full-time UVM Health Network employees continue earning full-time wages and benefits while studying to complete their Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology degree.
Training program for careers in phlebotomy
With a marked shortage of phlebotomists, we are promoting our longstanding partnership between the UVM Medical Center and the Institute for American Apprenticeship.
Our innovative, joint-training initiative prepares graduates to become certified phlebotomists, while guaranteeing them a job at the UVM Medical Center following their graduation.
New Respiratory Therapist Program
The workforce shortage has not spared respiratory therapists. There is a huge shortage regionally and nationwide of these therapists that provide a variety of respiratory care, from giving nebulizer treatments and inhalers to assisting in pulmonary function labs and intensive care units.
We recently partnered with Vermont State Colleges to establish a program for matching more students with a career in respiratory therapy. There’s a pay-while-you-learn model with flexible work arrangements and financial aid, as well as scholarships and tuition support.
Vermont State Colleges tout a 100% job placement rate upon graduation.
Clinical Assistant Program
This new, six-week program at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital trains qualified applicants to provide hands-on patient care as clinical assistants.
During their training, which includes 240 hours of classroom instruction and clinical rotations, participants earn $16.85 an hour.