Critical Pathways in California Health Education

M. Adrienne Carlson RN MS

Coordinator of Level I CSU Hayward

Audience: Potential Industry Partners

Educational Pathway needs: Streamlined access to higher education, High

School through College.

Starting with High School: Academy or Vocational Training with Industry

involvement allowing “Real World-Work Force” engagement/employment of students

Leading to employer supported Community

College and/or University work force preparation.

The overall “Industry Partnership” would include: The local target industry.

The schools (HS,CC,CSU/Universities) in a geographic area complementary to the industry of choice/need.

The student/potential-actual employee participants

These 3 partners:

Students, Schools and Industry:

Would enter into a mutually beneficial educational relationship to create a high quality, educated, employable and vested workforce.

The Goals are:

A meaningful quality educational experience.

Early entry into the workforce.

Life long learning and job security for a secure and satisfying lifetime.

Education and Industry Collaboration

CommunityCollege

Cal State/Universities

Industry Partnerships

High School

Streamlining ……Means…… Articulation Equal content/credit for agreed upon core classes in

Health Sciences.

College Credit for some Higher Level High School classes.

Assurance that core classes at Community Colleges in common with CSU/Universities will receive equal/transferring credit.

HS/CC?CSU credit for qualifying work study.

High School Industry Academy or

Vocational/Technical Programs with emphasis in core areas

Bio/Health Sciences Business/Finance Public/Human Services Engineering/Computer

Science Media/Arts and

Communication

Field Trips Job Shadowing Internships Certifications Summer Jobs Employmenrt

Community Industry College General Education 2 year “AA” Degree in area of choice.

Examples: Health Careers Human Resources Computer/Technical Business/Finance

Continue to provide: Internships Summer Jobs Employment On the job training and

certifications.

Incentive programs for employees to continue their education through Bachelors degree and beyond….

CSU/ Industry University Clear articulation

“planning” between programs of like content for smooth transition at semester/year breaks.

Recognition of similar core class requirements and content.

Continue to provide: Internships Employment On the job training

and certifications Incentive programs for

employees to continue education through Bachelors degree and beyond……

Example Pathway: Bio/Health Science

Focus:

“Nursing”

Nursing: High School Goals CPR/ First Aid Certifications

Health Form Compliance

Certified Nurses Aide Training and State Certification

Internship and “Employment” with an/the Industry Partner

Nursing: Community College and/or CSU/University Goals

Continued Employment with Industry Partner.

Flexible scheduling, medical benefits and income while attending college to become a RN.

Becoming a Registered Nurse while remaining in the “active” Health Care “workforce”!

What’s in it for:

The Student: Continuous employment, income, and experience in their field of choice from High School onward……

The Industry Partner: An immediate and ongoing increase in qualified members to their workforce from entry level through advanced practitioner with a commitment to their facility.

What’s in it for:

The Nursing Profession: An increase in young, dedicated and quality educated members to the profession in the face of the current nursing shortage and an aging population of currently practicing nurses.

Society: Assurance of continued quality nursing care being available for ourselves, our families and our elderly in the 21st century.

What the plan will look like:

A student that has completed High School Training and become certified as a CNA is hired by the Industry Partner.

Once employed by the Industry Partner and accepted to the Community College or CSU/University Partnership school of choice the employee would apply to the educational partnership program.

Details…details…..

Preference (by percentage) would be given at each step to those participating at the previous level of the partnership programs to consideration for participation at the next step.

Sets of participants would be paired-up as “job shares”.

More details….. Each Job Share Partner would work the equivalent

of 3 days a week or 12 days a month.

Between the job share partners they would be required to cover no less than 2 week-ends a month (could be more) and all holidays.

Excessive sick leave limits would be set and if exceeded could result in termination of the contract.

Sharing responsibilities Responsibility for submitting their schedule and

meeting the requirements would be that of the job share partners.

Both job share partners would receive (major) medical coverage.

If only major (hospitalization) covered then the school partner of choice would supply the primary health care.

Partnering In return the Student partners would sign a contract

agreeing to these terms and an agreed upon period of full time (or.9/.8) employment (2 years ?) in the next level job description for the Industry Partner.

Should a Community College Partcipant decide to switch to a CSU/University Partnership Program they would be encouraged to do so with documentation of this intent required as an amendment to their contract.

The contract would stay in force until the participant completes their schooling.

Outcomes The program would be designed so that any

employee could apply to participate at any level of the program.

The beginning of both the CC and the CSU should be structured to allow CAN certification at the end of the 1st semester or 2nd quarter as appropriate.

This will allow students to enter the workforce and this partnership easily at the college level.

Details…. It will be the responsibility of the School Partners

to “articulate” their programs such that a student could transfer easily between participating at Community Colleges and CSU/Universities at the end of:

1st semester CC into 3rd quarter CSU. End of 1st year CC into 2nd year CSU. An RN to BSN program will be provided for AA

RN’s to become BSN’s.

In Summary: The overall “Industry Partnership” would include

the:

Industry: Hospital/HMO.

The Schools: HS, CC, CSU/University. (located in a geographic area complementary to

the industry)

The Student/Employee participants.