Over the past two year, Workforce Southwest Washington has been making a significant impact on the local healthcare sector, investing an $800K grant to train and place individuals in high-demand healthcare careers.
This grant was designed to provide these same opportunities to individuals aged 18 and older in Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties, equipping them with the training, resources and job placements needed to thrive in the healthcare field.
The grant funds were invested into our partner organization WorkSource, the region’s one stop employment center, to deliver services. Through the Washington Jobs Initiative grant, we exceeded our placement goal of 140 by helping 153 individuals in Southwest Washington secure quality jobs as dental assistants, medical assistants, nursing assistants, pharmacy technicians, and registered nurses.
We also enrolled 220 individuals in healthcare training programs, with 196 completing their programs, resulting in nearly a 90 percent completion rate. In addition, 206 participants received supportive services to help them successfully complete training and maintain employment stability.
Organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, Legacy Health, PeaceHealth, PharMerica, Rebound Orthopedics, The Vancouver Clinic, Walgreens, and Willamette Dental participated in this effort, offering employment opportunities to those completing their training.
The impressive results of this program benefit not only the participants who receive training and enter the workforce, but also positively impact our regional economy by helping meet the workforce demands of local medical institutions with skilled professionals.
WorkSource is the key partner in this initiative, helping participants access training funding and providing vital support services to address barriers such as transportation, childcare, language assistance, financial coaching, and career navigation.
For those seeking assistance with finding employment or access to resources, please visit www.worksourceswwa.com for more information.
The Washington Jobs initiative is lead by the Washington Student Achievement Council and funded from the Economic Development Administration through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s American Rescue Plan Good Jobs Challenge grant.
WSW’s PY25 Washington Jobs Initiative program is supported by a Economic Development Administration American Rescue Plan award. $176,323 (100% of total) is financed by Federal funds.
