Local point of contact (name/title): Wendy Johnson, Director, Workforce Development Board

Transcription

1 Career Pathways Summary Version Title: Nursing and Related Healthcare Career Pathway Sector/Occupation: Healthcare Prosperity Zone: Northwest Prosperity Zone Local point of contact (name/title): Wendy Johnson, Director, Workforce Development Board Agency: Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board Phone:

2 INDEX OVERVIEW SECTION 1: Demand Driven and Data Informed SECTION 2: Employer Engagement SECTION 3: Collaboration SECTION 4: Career Awareness SECTION 5: Articulation and Coordination SECTION 6: Work-Based Learning SECTION 7: Multiple Entrance and Exit Points SECTION 8: Pathway Evaluation

3 OVERVIEW The Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board s service delivery area is situated in the Midwestern area of North Carolina and includes the counties of Alexander, Burke, Caldwell and Catawba. These four counties are home to more than 365,000 residents. Much of the area is rural, including 24 municipalities. Through careful consideration, the Board has deemed Healthcare as an urgent need in the region. The Healthcare talent pipeline in this area is not producing enough qualified workers to fill the growing need. The Western Piedmont region is the home six K-12 school systems, three community colleges and Lenoir-Rhyne University. In addition, Appalachian State University, Western Carolina University, Lees McRae College and Gardner-Webb University have satellite programs in the area. Although a variety of Healthcare programs are offered at these institutions, more work is needed to ensure the programs fit employers demand while increasing career awareness among youth and adult populations. Key stakeholders, including employers, educators and community partners were invited to informational meetings beginning in November of Four meetings took place to determine the needs of the region s Healthcare industry. Through collaboration and participation in employer panels, surveys and focus groups, stakeholders expressed employment and training concerns. In addition, at each meeting relevant information was presented to stakeholders, including apprenticeship assistance, Veteran s employment services and Vocational Rehabilitation employment opportunities. Stakeholders divided into focus groups, depending on their area of expertise. Through these activities, needs and solutions were presented to the group for evaluation and further implementation. The focus groups addressed the eight evaluation criteria for the Career Pathways Certification and were broken down as follows: 1. Data-Driven and Evaluation 2. Employer Engagement, Collaborative, and Career Awareness 3. Articulation & Coordination, Work-Based Learning, and Multiple Points of Entry and Exit. Here is a summary of focus group findings by criteria: 1. Data Driven and Data Informed The Health Care and Social Assistance Industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the nation, state, and local area. The Health Care and Social Assistance industry is projected to continue growing and adding more jobs to the workforce due of increased needs from an aging population, longer life expectancy, and chronic conditions.

4 The needs for health care services create opportunities for employers, education institutions, and job seekers. Employers will have the opportunities to offer jobs to qualified workers. Education institutions will the opportunities to train students with relevant skills. Job seekers will have career opportunities to gain employment and grow professionally. The goal of the Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board Healthcare Pathway is to ensure that the Health Care and Social Assistance industry continues to thrive through the collaborative effort of businesses, educators, and workforce partners. 2. Employer Engagement Employers are the key to the success of the Nursing & Allied Heath Career Pathway in the Western Piedmont region. In addition to the existing employer engagement, our region s Healthcare employers have been very engaged in the creation of this pathway. They are eagerly wanting to do everything they can to help fill the gap in the talent pipeline of the region s Healthcare industry. Employers have stated that our local high schools and community colleges are not producing enough qualified students to fill the Healthcare employment needs in our area. Employers expressed that healthcare workers are in very high demand right now. They predict this will only increase in future years. Employers do realize that strong partnerships are what is needed to help fill this gap. This sentiment was apparent during the collaboration process of our pathway development. During the development of our Nursing & Allied Health Career Pathway, employers engaged in collaboration with other employers, educators and partners. Employers participated in an employer panel, industry survey and various focus groups. 3. Collaborative The Western Piedmont region is fortunate to have existing collaboration between employers and educational institutions. The development of the pathway has expanded this to include more employers to the table as well as workforce partners. The Pathway planning meetings helped build new relationships and create an awareness of Healthcare employment needs among all participants. As needs were discussed, educators and partners were quick to make suggestions and start conversations to fill help fill the talent pipeline needs. Healthcare employers, educators and workforce partners collaborated through the industry panel discussions, focus groups and special topic presentations through the course of our Pathway development. A total of 4 collaboration meetings took place over a period from November 14, 2017 to February 28, There were a total of 75 participants in the development of this Pathway. A list of the participants and sign in sheets are included.

5 4. Career Awareness Western Piedmont s Healthcare employers and educators equally understand the importance of Career Awareness to continue feeding their talent pipeline. Throughout the pathway development, existing collaboration between school systems, colleges and workforce partners was very apparent. The region is working hard on existing awareness efforts, but through this collaboration realizes that there is a high need for much more work in this area. Career Awareness is evident through Healthcare career fairs at the high schools, community colleges and recruitment events at the career centers. In addition, employers offer internships to high school and college students. Employers are also working with K-12 and post-secondary schools to offer career presentations in hopes to raise awareness at a younger age. These awareness programs provide the existing talent pipeline for the region. 5. Articulation and Coordination Western Piedmont s educational partnership is supported by series of articulation agreements between the schools, community colleges and local universities. Career & College Promise programs allow high school students to seamlessly take community college classes for credit and complete diploma, certificate and degree programs quicker. All six LEA s located within the four counties provide an option for the students to complete a Certified Nursing Aide program, whether at their high school or by attending classes at the local community college. There are three community colleges in the four county Western Piedmont area and they all offer a variety of for credit & degree programs in Nursing and related healthcare, plus diploma and certificate oriented programs. Non-credit options are available through the continuing education programs at the local community colleges, and adult participants are frequent enrollees. Lenoir Rhyne University has a RIBN program that allows Associate Degree Nursing graduates immediate entry into a Bachelor of Science Nursing program and is available to RN students in all three community colleges. Bachelor level programs are offered inseat at LRU or through distance education campuses at Gardner Webb College, Lees McRae and Appalachian State University, as well as with Western Carolina University. Graduate level degree and certificate programs are available within the Western Piedmont at LRU as well as with distance education partners, Gardner Webb, Appalachian State and Western Carolina. Northwest AHEC provides in-service professional development training to incumbent healthcare staff. With the educational healthcare programs available and the seamless articulation, it s possible for a high school student to get their training from a Certified Nurse Aide to a Master of Science in Nursing, all within the Western Piedmont. 6. Work-Based Learning Healthcare employers work very closely with the Department of Public Instruction in the

6 Western Piedmont s four counties, as well as with the community colleges and NCWorks Career Centers in providing and coordinating Work-Based Learning opportunities. Clinical hours or internships are mandated by state law for licensure and certifications in various nursing and allied healthcare professions. As a result, LEA s and post-secondary institutions have contract agreements or informal affiliations with public and private healthcare agencies to ensure students fulfill the required amount of hours needed per profession. An inventory of affiliations between schools and employers is provided. NCWorks Career Centers located in the Western Piedmont support healthcare professions by promoting CNA training programs offered at the three community colleges in the region. 7. Multiple On and Off Ramps for entering and exiting Manufacturing Positions Western Piedmont s nursing and related healthcare pathway has entry and exit ramps for a wide variety of the population including everyone from youth to the unemployed, dislocated, as well as active duty or transitioning military service members. In addition to employers, educators and community stakeholders, we listened to, and incorporated the ideas of, Veterans Services and Vocational Rehabilitation Services representatives. A series of Career ladders educational opportunities, healthcare professions, as well as salary ranges for the Western Piedmont. These can be used by educators as well as NCWorks Career Center staff when consulting with interested youth and adult clients. 8. Evaluation The evaluation plan will measure progress and identify components and activities that need to be addressed through a continuous improvement process through the initial collection of baseline data and annual evaluation and measurement of improvement or increasing participation in training and career development activities. An evaluation and performance measurement system was developed for the nursing and healthcare pathway that includes 1) Definition of success including goals and timelines, 2) Baseline data, 3) Regular assessments, and 4) Mechanism for updating the pathway and associated strategies. Conclusion In conclusion, this pathway process has created and strengthened bonds that would have otherwise been under-utilized. The Western Piedmont healthcare industry is now working in the same direction to collaborate and grow their talent pipeline. Through this collaborative effort, educators have indicated implementing programs that are in high need for employers. In addition, internship and programmatic opportunities have been birthed through this process. Going forward, participants have committed to continued dialogue and engagement to

7 bring career awareness to the healthcare industry. This will ideally lead to an increase in enrollment in healthcare programs at both the high school and college level. Through this, healthcare employers will see the gap diminish and qualified workers become more abundant.

8 Section 1. Demand-Driven and Data Informed NATIONAL TRENDS Healthcare occupations are expected to add more jobs than any other group of occupations. Employment of healthcare occupations nationally is expected to grow 18% from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.4 million new jobs. Data derived from the Bureau of Labor Statistics at Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. This growth is expected due to an aging population, longer life expectancies, and growing chronic conditions will drive demand for healthcare services. While the Affordable Care Act may be threatened moving forward, the need for healthcare services is not likely to decrease anytime soon, but rather continue to increase significantly. REGIONAL TRENDS-NORTHWEST PROSPERITY ZONE The Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board is part of the Northwest Prosperity Zone designated by the NC Department of Commerce. Data from the NC Department of Commerce website outlining the Northwest Region s Top 15 Star Jobs provides us with the following regional snapshot. Healthcare occupations dominate the list. Northwest Prosperity Zone Top 15 Star Jobs by Educational Level This trend is also supported both regionally and locally. Overall industry growth projections show that the Healthcare and Social Assistance Industry as one of the fastest growing industries in the Northwest region at 22.0% from Employment Projections by Industry from NCCareers.org LOCAL TRENDS-WESTERN PIEDMONT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD The local area benefits from a concentration of health related employers and industries. The charts below illustrate the significance of these healthcare related employers and industries among the largest employers within our region. While the four counties of the workforce board s service delivery area are primarily rural in nature, there are three major urban cities (Hickory, Lenoir, and Morganton). According to the US Census, the 2016 estimated total population for the Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board area is 363,377. The US Census also noted that the population of 65 years and over increase at a faster rate (15.1 percent) that the total US population between 2000 and This disproportionate increase is evident in the local area. There is greater need for healthcare services as the population continue to age, longer life expectancy, and chronic conditions. The Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board area has a concentration of healthcare related employers, robust healthcare related job growth and significant wage levels across many of the healthcare occupations further supports the national, state and regional trends. The industry has been critical in providing services to the population. The chart from the NC Commerce Labor and Economic Analysis illustrated

9 that the healthcare industry is among the largest of all industry in the local area. The chart below ranked the largest employers in each county of the Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board local area. Employers by Number of Job Openings Table The table below shows the employers with the highest number of job openings advertised online in Western Piedmont WDB, NC on March 11, 2018 (Jobs Deduplication Level 2). Rank Employer Name Job Openings 1 Blue Ridge HealthCare Frye Regional Medical Center, Inc UNC Health Care System 64 4 Carolinas HealthCare System 46 5 LABOR CONNECTIONS LLC 45 6 Domino's Pizza, Inc Food Lion 39 8 BAYADA Home Health Care, Inc Corning Incorporated SavaSeniorCare 34 Job Source: Online advertised jobs data (NC Works) Downloaded: 03/12/ :45PM Occupations by Advertised Jobs Table The table below shows the occupations with the highest number of job openings advertised online in Western Piedmont WDB, NC on March 11, 2018 (Jobs Deduplication Level 2). Rank Occupation Job Openings 1 Registered Nurses First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, Including Fast Food 115

10 4 Retail Salespersons Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 89 6 Customer Service Representatives 75 7 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 73 8 Nursing Assistants 63 9 Driver/Sales Workers General and Operations Managers 57 Source: Online advertised jobs data (NC Works) Downloaded: 03/12/ :46 PM WAGE DATA The 2017 estimated median annual wage data for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (such as pharmacy techs, registered nurses, physicians and surgeons) for the Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board region is $33,693 while the estimated average is $76,895. Healthcare support occupations (such as home health aides, nursing assistants, and occupational therapy assistants) had an estimated median annual wage of $19,059 and an estimated average of $26,190. While the healthcare support occupations have much lower wage levels, these occupations allow for workers to attend short term training and enter the healthcare field with lots of possibilities for further training and career advancement. The following chart provides a more detailed picture of wages across the spectrum of healthcare occupations found in the Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board Region. Occupational Code Occupation Est Emp Est Annual Wage - Entry Est Annual Wage - Mean Est Annual Wage - Median Est Annual Wage - Experience Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations 8,930 $33,693 $76,895 $54,509 $98, Dentists, General 90 $99,094 $200,385 $194,959 $251, Dietitians and Nutritionists 40 $39,623 $55,190 $54,228 $62,973

11 Pharmacists 330 $110,872 $133,736 $134,994 $145, Anesthesiologists $298, Family and General Practitioners 180 $150,303 $225,814 $206,603 $263, Psychiatrists 30 $168,179 $219,740 $199,193 $245, Surgeons 80 $298, Physicians and Surgeons, All Other Physician Assistants Occupational Therapists 350 $262, $85,596 $98,525 $96,588 $104, $69,362 $86,692 $85,023 $95, Physical Therapists 120 $72,119 $88,684 $91,252 $96, Respiratory Therapists Speech-Language Pathologists 100 $42,005 $51,430 $52,413 $56, $38,867 $68,417 $63,587 $83, Veterinarians 110 $47,333 $99,460 $77,073 $125, Registered Nurses 3,280 $40,178 $54,746 $55,023 $62, Nurse Anesthetists 70 $128,314 $159,673 $153,053 $175, Nurse Midwives 10 $92,275 $112,229 $103,407 $122, Nurse Practitioners 210 $84,848 $100,212 $97,650 $107, Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners, All Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians $56,054 $95,262 $62,855 $114, $45,216 $57,444 $57,329 $63, $29,494 $36,712 $35,843 $40, Dental Hygienists 160 $56,050 $64,862 $63,944 $69, Diagnostic Medical 30 $47,393 $58,066 $57,713 $63,402

12 Sonographers Nuclear Medicine Technologists Radiologic Technologists Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics Pharmacy Technicians 20 $52,274 $60,509 $60,386 $64, $41,995 $54,849 $54,545 $61, $56,458 $70,739 $69,902 $77, $22,465 $31,292 $29,489 $35, $21,295 $28,520 $28,563 $32, Surgical Technologists 150 $31,752 $39,357 $38,529 $43, Veterinary Technologists and Technicians Ophthalmic Medical Technicians Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses Medical Records and Health Information Technicians Opticians, Dispensing Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other Occupational Health and Safety 70 $22,755 $29,946 $29,855 $33, $28,002 $34,491 $34,409 $37, $35,840 $42,926 $43,477 $46, $24,019 $32,464 $29,735 $36,687 $33,081 $40,608 $36,921 $44, $26,570 $44,453 $42,444 $53, $43,479 $66,038 $63,882 $77,318

13 Specialists Athletic Trainers 20 $29,377 $44,774 $44,441 $52, Healthcare Support Occupations Home Health 7,710 $19,059 $26,190 $25,363 $29,755 2,480 $17,502 $23,137 $22,566 $25,955 Aides Nursing Assistants 3,530 $19,150 $24,388 $24,807 $27, Occupational Therapy Assistants Physical Therapist Assistants Massage Therapists 80 $43,012 $60,093 $63,361 $68, $44,379 $57,582 $57,424 $64,183 $21,467 $43,046 $38,708 $53, Dental Assistants 330 $25,867 $34,292 $33,936 $38, Medical Assistants 570 $24,285 $29,329 $28,960 $31, Medical Equipment Preparers Medical Transcriptionists Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Careta 30 $22,200 $26,751 $24,534 $29, $30,399 $36,077 $35,985 $38,917 $19,159 $26,524 $27,316 $30, Phlebotomists 130 $22,378 $26,730 $26,220 $28, Healthcare Support Workers, All Other 130 $23,826 $33,119 $33,622 $37,766

14 2. EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT Employers are the key to the success of the Nursing & Allied Heath Career Pathway in the Western Piedmont region. Employers have consistently been engaged in many ways including workforce and educational advisory committees, career fair involvement, classroom presentations, and participating in work based learning opportunities including internships and apprenticeships with high school and college students. In addition to the existing employer engagement, our region s Healthcare employers have been very engaged in the creation of this pathway. They are eagerly wanting to do everything they can to help fill the gap in the talent pipeline of the region s Healthcare industry. Employers have stated that our local high schools and community colleges are not producing enough qualified students to fill the Healthcare employment needs in our area. Employers expressed that healthcare workers are in very high demand right now. They predict this will only increase in future years. Employers do realize that strong partnerships are what is needed to help fill this gap. This sentiment was apparent during the collaboration process of our pathway development. During the development of our Nursing & Allied Health Career Pathway, employers engaged in collaboration with other employers, educators and partners. Employers participated in an employer panel, industry survey and various focus groups. Our region had great employer participation in the development of this pathway. Our first look at the healthcare industry needs in our area was in the form of an employer panel. There were 55 healthcare partners, including employers, educators and local workforce partners at this panel presentation. Panelists from our region s hospitals and smaller practices expressed their engagement in the community, needs and outreach initiatives. The Employee Panel consisted of the following: CATWBA VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER Mike Green Administrator of Diagnostic Services mgreene@catawbavalleymc.org Catawba County (828) Fairgrove Church Rd. SE Hickory, NC CAROLINAS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM-BLUE RIDGE Cindy Cross Human Resources Recruiter ccross@blueridgehealth.org Burke County

15 (828) S Sterling St. Morganton, NC BROUGHTON HOSPITAL Shannon Hennessee Chief Nursing Officer shannon.hennessee@dhhs.nc.gov Burke County (828) S Sterling St. Morganton, NC UNC HEALTHCARE-CALDWELL Rebecca Smith Chief Operating Officer RebeccaT.Smith@unchealth.unc.edu (828) Caldwell County 321 Mulberry St. SW Lenoir, NC TRINITY VILLAGE Barbara Arrowood Director of Nursing barrowood@trinityvillage.net Catawba County (828) st St. NE Hickory, NC HOME INSTEAD-HOME CARE Susan Saylor Owner susan.saylor@homeinstead.com Catawba and Alexander Counties (828) st Ave. NE, Suite 205 Hickory, NC 28601

16 HEALTHCARE EMPLOYER PANEL DEC. 13, 2017 EMPLOYER SURVEYS In addition to the employer panel, employers participated in an industry survey to provide information about their needs and collaboration with educational institutions. The survey included questions about what positions they see in high need now and in 3 to 5 years, their participation in Job Fairs, Facility Site Tours, Teacher Tours and Career Center Events. They were also asked what internship and clinical opportunities do they provide and what is the biggest challenge in working with partner institutions? In addition, employers were asked to write narrative on their facilities, including the following information:

17 1. What does your facility do? 2. Where are your best employees sourced from? 3. What is your biggest workforce concern when you think about the future? 4. Provide insight into other thoughts or concerns you have with healthcare profession employee pipeline in the area. We received survey results from 15 employers. Results showed that employers in our area are all very concerned with the lack of a skilled workforce for the future. FOCUS GROUPS Our Employer Engagement Focus Group consisted of eight employers, eight educators and three community workforce partners. This group identified needs within industry sectors and skills needed to address the talent pipeline gaps. Employers provided essential input into careers, curricula and courses needed along the pathways that will meet local and regional workforce demands. LETTERS OF SUPPORT In addition to employer engagement through the industry panel, surveys, and focus groups, employers have also pledged their continued support of this pathway certification and implementation through Letters of Support.

18 3. COLLABORATIVE The Western Piedmont region is fortunate to have existing collaboration between employers and educational institutions. The development of the pathway has expanded this to include more employers to the table as well as workforce partners. The Pathway planning meetings helped build new relationships and create an awareness of Healthcare employment needs among all participants. As needs were discussed, educators and partners were quick to make suggestions and start conversations to fill help fill the talent pipeline needs. Healthcare employers, educators and workforce partners collaborated through the industry panel discussions, focus groups and special topic presentations through the course of our Pathway development. A total of 4 collaboration meetings took place over a period from November 14, 2017 to February 28, There were a total of 75 participants in the development of this Pathway. A list of the participants and sign in sheets are included. The first meeting on November 14 th, 2017 was an educator strategic planning meeting. We had 20 educators in attendance. This meeting was to review the documentation needed from educators to certify the pathway. In this meeting, we talked about articulation agreements, work based learning opportunities, career awareness already in place, and health care employer contacts and collaboration. From this meeting, the school system CTE directors collaborated with the colleges about possibilities for courses and changes to better improve the Healthcare Education paths that already exist. The second meeting was on December 13, This meeting kicked off the collaboration with educators, workforce partners, and employers all together. This meeting mainly consisted of our employer panel. Panelists from our region s hospitals and smaller practices expressed their engagement in the community, needs and outreach initiatives. The third meeting took place on February 7 th, At this meeting, the topic presentation was on Apprenticeships and Healthcare. Presenters were Elizabeth Standafer, Youth Apprenticeship Coordinator and Shari Phelps, Apprenticeship Consultant. The two informed participants on how healthcare facilities can create apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships that could result in state-funded tuition waivers for high school students seeking their degrees (RN, Billing & Coding, etc.) at partnering community colleges. In addition, participants broke into Focus Groups to address specific needs in the Pathway development. Focus Groups included: 1. Employer Engagement, Career Awareness and Collaborative 2. Articulation & Coordination, Work-based Learning and Multiple Points of Entry & Exit

19 3. Demand Driven & Data-Informed, Evaluation Participants were given the opportunity to choose the focus group in which they felt they would be most productive. Others were assigned to groups based on their position and organization. Participants worked in their focus groups over a period of 2 meetings. The final collaboration meeting was on February 28 th, At this meeting, participants heard from Russ Vickers, Regional Veterans Employment Consultant, NC Dept. of Commerce, and Janet Hannah, Business Relations Representative, NC Vocational Rehabilitation. These presentations included information on how veterans and VR clients can extend the talent pipeline needs in ways not previously thought of. In this meeting, participants also continued to work in their Focus Groups to complete information needed for the Pathway certification. At the end of this meeting, all participants collaborated on the next steps for implementation of the Pathway after certification. From these meetings, relationships were formed and partnerships strengthened. The need for a Healthcare Pathway is very evident and awareness is now open to a broader scale. The employers, educators and workforce partners have all signed off to continue the collaboration and implementation efforts beyond this pathway development and certification. Signature sheets are included at the end of this application. They are all eager to begin working on the ideas and plans that formed from these collaboration meetings and Focus Groups. List of Participants County Sector Name Business Catawba Community Educator Mtg. 14-Nov. Charity F. Patterson charity.patterson@nccommerce.com DWS, Commerce y y y Burke Community Chuck Brown chuck.brown@nccommerce.com DWS, Commerce Y Y Y Felicia Culbreath- Regional Community Setzer felicia.setzer@nccommerce.com DWS, Commerce y y Y Burke Community Janet Hannah janet.hannah@dhhs.nc.gov Voc Rehab Y Foothills Region Alzheimer's Catawba Community Julie Cook-Walker jcookwalker@alz.org Association Y Y Regional Community Leslie Farris leslie.farris@wpcog.org WPCOG, WDB staff Y Y Y Regional Community Matthew Xiong matthew.xiong@wpcog.org WPCOG, WDB staff Y Y Y Regional Community Patty Thompson patricia.thompson@nccommerce.com DWS, Commerce y Y Y Regional Community Russ Vickers russ.vickers@nccommerce.com Commerce y Y Y Regional Community Stephanie Hoover shoover@rossprov.com NCWorks y y y Regional Community Wendy Johnson wendy.johnson@wpcog.org WPCOG, WDB staff Y Y Y Regional Community Kris Xaypangna kris.xaypangna@nccommerce.com NC DWS y Catawba Edu Dr. Toni Oakes Toni.Oakes@lr.edu Lenoir-Rhyne University Y y Caldwell County Schools--for Caldwell Edu Greg Davis Libby Huff 13- Dec 7- Feb Y 28- Feb

20 Catawba Edu Jessica Schouweiler Newton-Conover Schools Y Catawba Edu Kim Sloop kim.sloop@lr.edu Lenoir-Rhyne University Y Y Y Catawba Edu Kim Teague Kim_Teague@catawbaschools.net CTE-Catawba Co \Schools Y y Y Catawba Edu Robin Ross rross@cvcc.edu CVCC Y Y Burke Edu Sandy Bailes sbailes@gardner-webb.edu Gardner Webb Y Catawba Edu Scott Vandevander svandevander@cvcc.edu CVCC Y Y Regional Edu Terry Rawls rawlsdt@appstate.edu ASU y Y Burke Edu Ava Yamouti yamoutia@lmc.edu Lees McRae Y Y Caldwell Edu Barbara Harris bharris@cccti.edu CCCTI Y y Y Y Catawba Edu Benita Beard bbeard@cvcc.edu CVCC Y Y Burke Edu Brian Cotton bcotton@gardner-webb.edu Gardner Webb y Y Regional Edu Bronwen Sheffield sheffieldbl@appstate.edu ASU Y y Y Y Catawba Edu Dr. Timothy Simms simsti@hickoryschools.net CTE-Hickory Schools Y y Y Y Burke Edu Jamie Norton jnorton@burke.k12.nc.us Burke County Schools y Y Y Caldwell Edu Jimmy Council jcouncil@cccti.edu CCCTI y y Y Caldwell Edu Jodie Webb jwebb@cccti.edu CCCTI Y Y Y Catawba Edu Karen Boyles boyleska@hickoryschools.net CTE-Hickory Schools Y y Y Burke Edu Lee Kiser wkiser@wpcc.edu WPCC Y y Y Y Caldwell Edu Libby Huff lhuff@caldwellschools.com CTE-Caldwell Co Schools Y Burke Edu Michael Daniels mdaniels@wpcc.edu WPCC Y y Y Alexander Edu Susan Gantt sgantt@alexander.k12.nc.us CTE-Alexander Co Schools Y Y Y Y Catawba Edu Teresa Ray tray@cvcc.edu CVCC y y Burke Edu Vicki Shuping vshuping@wpcc.edu WPCC Y Y Regional Edu Lisa Conger lisa.conger@dpi.nc.gov CTE- DPI y Regional Edu Marty Tobey marty.tobey@dpi.nc.gov CTE- DPI Y Regional Edu Melanee Mills mgmills@wakehealth.edu Northwest AHEC Y Catawba Edu Dr. Aron Gabriel aron.gabriel@n-ccs.org CTE-Newton Conover Schools y Regional Edu Judy Flowers jflowers@cvcc.edu CVCC y Caldwell Edu Brandy Dunlap bdunlap@cccti.edu CCCTI y Y Y Burke Edu Atticus Simpson asimpson@wpcc.edu WPCC y Y Caldwell Edu Dr. April Cline acline@cccti.edu CCCTI y y Y Burke Emp Karen Pritchard kpritchard@wpcc.edu WPCC Y Catawba EMP Melissa Kale mkale@catawbapediatrics.net Catawba Pediatric Assoc y Y Catawba EMP Adina Andreu aandreu@catawbavalleymc.org Catawba Valley Medical Center Y Catawba EMP Amanda Handy ahandy@trinityvillage.net Trinity Village (Formerly Lutheran Homes) y Catawba EMP Amber McIntosh amcintosh@uchas.org Abernethy Laurels y Trinity Village (Formerly Catawba EMP Barbara Arrowood barrowood@trinityvillage.net Lutheran Homes) y Catawba EMP Beverly Winkler bwinkler@pchcv.org Catawba Regional Hospice y Catawba EMP Bryan Blanton bblanton@catawbacountync.gov Catawba County EMS Y Burke EMP Casey Glockson casey.glockson@burkeprimarycare.com Burke Primary Care y Catawba EMP Crystal Bollinger cbollinger@pchcv.org Catawba Regional Hospice Y Burke EMP David Pope david.pope@blueridgehealth.org Carolinas Healthcare System- Y

21 Blue Ridge Catawba EMP Jason Williams Catawba Co Public Health y Catawba EMP Mike Green mgreene@catawbavalleymc.org Catawba Valley Medical Ctr Y Caldwell EMP Mirana Lambert lenoir_don@choice-health.net Lenoir Healthcare y Catawba EMP Rachel Palmer rachel.palmer@lpnt.net Frye Regional Medical Ctr y Caldwell emp Rebecca Smith RebeccaT.Smith@unchealth.unc.edu Caldwell UNC Healthcare y Shannon Burke EMP Hennessee shannon.hennessee@dhhs.nc.gov Broughton Hospital y Catawba EMP Steve Ashby sashby1@brookdale.com Senior Living y Catawba EMP Susan Saylor susan.saylor@homeinstead.com Home Instead - Home Care y Y Catawba EMP Sylvia Fisher SFISHER@catawbacountync.gov EMS Y Catawba EMP Amanda McKinney amanda.mckinney@awomansview.com A Woman's View y Y Carolinas Healthcare System- Burke EMP Cindy Cross ccross@blueridgehealth.org Blue Ridge y Y Y Burke EMP Danette Brackett danette.brackett@blueridgehealth.org Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospital y y Caldwell EMP Denise Stiltner Denise.Stiltner@unchealth.unc.edu Caldwell UNC Healthcare y Y Caldwell Emp Lisa Keller lisa.keller@unchealth.unc.edu Caldwell UNC Healthcare Y Y Y Lorinnsa Bridges Carolinas Healthcare System- Burke EMP Kee Lorinnsa.BridgesKee@Blueridgehealth.org Blue Ridge Y Y Burke EMP Marcus Guy marcus.guy@dhhs.nc.gov Broughton Hospital Y Y Shelly Isenhoursisenhour@catawbavalleymc.org Catawba EMP Essary Catawba Valley Medical Ctr y Y Y Burke EMP Susan Stephens susan.stephens@dhhs.nc.gov Broughton Hospital Y Y Catawba EMP Tiffany Chapman tdchapman@catawbavalleymc.org Catawba Valley Medical Ctr Y Y

22 4. CAREER AWARENESS Western Piedmont s Healthcare employers and educators equally understand the importance of Career Awareness to continue feeding their talent pipeline. Throughout the pathway development, existing collaboration between school systems, colleges and workforce partners was very apparent. The region is working hard on existing awareness efforts, but through this collaboration realizes that there is a high need for much more work in this area. Career Awareness is evident through Healthcare career fairs at the high schools, community colleges and recruitment events at the career centers. In addition, employers offer internships to high school and college students. Employers are also working with K-12 and post-secondary schools to offer career presentations in hopes to raise awareness at a younger age. These awareness programs provide the existing talent pipeline for the region. Examples of Career Awareness activities are included in the original submission.

23 5. Articulation & Coordination The Western Piedmont partnership is supported by articulation agreements between the local schools and the community college system. This permits high school students to begin taking a variety of healthcare classes and have their course work transfer seamlessly to local community colleges. The standard statewide agreement between North Carolina s high schools and community colleges, has recently been revised. For the six LEA s in the four county region, the classes they offer are included in the standard High School to Community College Articulation Agreement course list. Although there are some variations in health science offerings, all six school systems offer Health Science l, Health Science II, and Nursing Fundamentals at the high school level. These three courses constitute the core of the Nurse Aide program available through North Carolina high schools, which is now a requirement for anyone entering the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs. Program of studies, by school systems, are presented in original submission. Western Piedmont is home to three Community Colleges, one private college, and a distance education site for two state universities as well as several private colleges. At the community college level, the three community colleges offer degree as well as nondegree course options. Many of the non-degree programs lead to diplomas, certificates and/or valuable credentials. Incumbent workers, unemployed adults, and the dislocated, in addition to youth populations, all have the opportunity to enroll and complete credit or non-credit courses. An At a Glance list of degree and non-degree healthcare program offerings for High Country colleges and universities can be found in the original submission. Several degree and non-degree programs offered at the community college level have related upper level degree programs available Appalachian State University, Western Carolina University, Lees McRae College, and Gardner Webb University. The local private College, Lenoir Rhyne University, has related nursing and healthcare undergraduate and graduate programs as well. Transferring from the community college to the senior colleges/universities is eased by a series of articulation agreements. The Standard State-wide Articulation Agreement between NC Universities and Community Colleges allows students to seamlessly transfer credit courses between the three Western Piedmont Regional Area Community Colleges as well as Appalachian State University and Western Carolina. An associate degree nurse who graduates from a North Carolina community college and wishes to transfer to a state university benefits from the state s Uniform Articulation Agreement between the University of North Carolina RN to BSN Programs and the North Carolina Community College System Associate Degree Nursing Program. Some associate degree in nursing (ADN) students in the High Country have an

24 opportunity to participate in a Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nursing (RIBN) Program. All three local community colleges partner with Lenoir Rhyne University s RIBN Program. The program provides a seamless associate to baccalaureate nursing education for top academic students. The first three years of study will be at the Community College campus along with one course per semester at L-R. Upon successful completion of the first three years, students will take their fourth year at Lenoir-Rhyne, which is located in Catawba County. Additional formalized articulation agreements exist between the community colleges and UNC System Universities. The University of North Carolina Greensboro has a unique articulation between Western Piedmont Community College s Recreational Therapy AAS program and UNC-G s Bachelor of Science Degree in Recreation and Parks Management with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation. Appalachian State University and Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute also have a streamlined unique articulation agreement. Graduates of CCCTI s Speech Language Pathology Assistant program receive an AAS degree in Speech Language Pathology Assistant. This degree seamlessly transfers to ASU, and upon completion of their studies, the graduate receives a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Melanee Mills, Health Careers & Workforce Diversity Coordinator from Northwest AHEC has attended strategic planning committee meetings. The Northwest Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) helps with health care education and services in 17 counties which include the Western Piedmont region. Northwest AHEC provides continuing education opportunities to health care professionals as well as shares information on workshops and graduate school opportunities. In addition, they have a mandate to provide career awareness to K-12 students with a variety of programs. It was noted by top employer, Carolina Healthcare System Blue Ridge in Morganton, that they have a challenging time filling Medical Lab Tech positions. At the same focus group meeting, the representative from Western Piedmont Community College informed the attendees that their Med Lab Tech program typically has empty seats. They have a hard time getting students interested in this program. WPCC is the only community college of the three in the region offering MLT classes. It was suggested that this certified career pathway process work on this as a potential project. The Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board will be meeting with WPCC and top employers to determine what can be done to elevate the MLT program to middle and high school students.

25 6. Work-Based Learning Work-Based Learning is both an educational as well as training strategy that provides pathway enrollees with real-life work experiences where they can apply academic theory with on-the-job training. It s a concept that has been in practice for many years and is an integral part of workforce development and creating a healthy employee pipeline. The Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board strongly encourages and emphasizes On-the-Job Training Programs in addition to paid work experiences as a work-based learning training strategy for WIOA eligible adults, dislocated workers, and youth. Healthcare employers work very closely with the County schools, local colleges and universities in coordinating Work-Based Learning opportunities. Results from an employer questionnaire distributed to local healthcare providers shows the WBL options available to students in the region At the Western Piedmont region s second healthcare planning meeting in February, employers pointed out that while they have a vested interest in providing internships and clinical settings for local students, there are some practical limitations. It is challenging to get healthcare staff members to agree to be clinical supervisors. They don t get paid extra for supervisory work, and it simply adds on to an already taxed work load for the preceptor or supervisor. Ways to popularize clinical supervisor posts were discussed, including giving extra hours off or reducing normal workload. It should be noted, regardless of the challenges, all partners agreed that internships and clinical experiences are very positive as well as necessary. Clinical hours or internships are mandated by state law for licensure and certifications in various nursing and allied healthcare professions. As a result, LEA s and postsecondary institutions have contract agreements or informal affiliations with public and private healthcare agencies to ensure students fulfill the required amount of hours needed per profession. The NCWorks Career Centers located in the Western Piedmont region support healthcare professions by promoting CNA training programs offered at the three community colleges in the region. Career Center WIOA staff disseminate information and enroll interested Adult, Dislocated and Youth clients in the colleges respective Nursing Aid certificate programs. Funding is provided for eligible WIOA clients. The Career Centers also feature onsite Hiring Day events for several healthcare providers.

26 7. Multiple points of Entry and Exit The Western Piedmont Nursing and Related Healthcare partnership has developed a pathway which allows entrance from many points: whether a high school student, a high school graduate, some experience, from zero to several credentials, with a diploma, certificate, associates or bachelor s degree and/or with many years of experience. As highlighted in Exhibit 7A, the pathway has entry and exit ramps for a wide variety of the population including everyone from youth to the unemployed, dislocated, as well as active duty or transitioning military service members and special populations (vocational rehabilitation clients). Based on education and training offerings in the Western Piedmont region, here are a few occupations that potential healthcare enrollees could prepare for: Certified Nurse Assistant Medical Assistant Phlebotomist Dental Assistant Billing and Coding Specialist Respiratory Therapist Radiologic Technician Medical Lab Technologist MRI Technologist Registered Nurse Paramedic Plus many more. By taking a series of non-degree classes and certification coursework, an adult enrollee could qualify as a semi-skilled employee in the healthcare setting in as little as six weeks. Should an enrollee decide at a later time to return to school, their successfully completed CNA program seamlessly is accepted by the Community College system, thus allowing the enrollee to be accepted into the nursing program. A high school senior can go from CNA to RN in as little as two years if they complete the Nursing Aide class by the end of their senior year. Once a working RN, they could continue their schooling via Distance Education to complete their BSN in about 2 years with Western Carolina, or the other Universities in the region that offer online RN to BSN programs. Western Piedmont healthcare employers were curious and open to the idea of hiring veterans that have the appropriate skill sets. Russ Vickers, the Regional Veterans Employment Consultant for the Western Piedmont region, was a regular participant in the healthcare pathway meetings. At the February 28 th meeting Russ gave a short presentation on the benefits of hiring veterans, particularly those with medic backgrounds. He also provided tips on how best to be a veteran friendly organization. The three community colleges are willing to accept prior learning and training of active duty military and veterans as transfer credits after an exhaustive review of the applicant s military training and course work transcript. Each community college presented their policies. Local NC Vocational Rehabilitation staff have participated in the Western Piedmont healthcare pathway meetings as well. At the February 28 th meeting, Janet Hannah, Business Services Representative with the NC Vocational Rehabilitation Services,

27 discussed how Voc Rehab services can work with employers as well as with clients. She provided a brochure for meeting attendees so that healthcare employers can get a better idea of how this agency can provide skilled employees for the healthcare pipeline. Apprenticeships and healthcare professions are not a traditional pairing. That said, the pathway committee learned on February 7 th by way of Elizabeth Standafer, NC Youth Apprentice Coordinator, there are some opportunities for paid youth apprenticeships, in the nursing and allied healthcare professions. It caught the attention of healthcare professions, and a follow-up workshop will be provided if there is enough interest later in the spring of this year. In short, the apprenticeship model is a model helps high school students working part-time in a healthcare setting, have their mandated clinical / internship hours count towards an apprenticeship, allowing the state to pay for their community college programs in nursing as well as in billing and coding.

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31 8. Evaluation The Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board (WPWDB) healthcare partnership is committed to ensuring that the Career Pathway for nursing and allied health continues to grow and strengthen through an established career pathway and that it remains relevant with changing needs. If successful it should result in the following: Healthcare employers are able to obtain skilled employees to meet their needs Students, job seekers, and workers have adequate training opportunities to obtain the training at a multitude of points along the career pathway to obtain unsubsidized self-sufficient employment within the healthcare field Training institutions are able to attract talented potential students to healthcare training programs to meet employer needs To be successful, the pathway must facilitate industry s ability to recruit and hire qualified workers for the ever- evolving workplace that contributes to the region s economic strength and long-term prosperity while meeting the healthcare needs of region. The evaluation plan will measure progress and identify components and activities that need to be addressed through a continuous improvement process through the initial collection of baseline data and annual evaluation and measurement of improvement or increasing participation in training and career development activities. Evaluation Work Group Goals Develop an evaluation and performance measurement system for the nursing and healthcare pathway. The plan includes: Definition of success including goals and timelines Baseline data Regular assessments Mechanism for updating the pathway and associated strategies Definition of Success Meeting the need of the nursing and allied Health industry in the Western Piedmont Workforce Development Board by providing/increasing the pipeline of a highly, qualified skilled workforce; Meeting the needs of students, jobseekers and workers by providing relevant training and employment as they progress along the pathway s on and off-ramps; and Implement an evaluation process that will collect additional data for an on-going annual review. Three-year goals will be established for each data element collected using the baseline data.