The healthcare sector in the San Joaquin Valley faces a critical shortage of workers across numerous essential roles. While careers like nursing and medicine are well-known, many students remain unaware of the multitude of other rewarding healthcare positions, often requiring shorter and more affordable educational pathways. These entry points into the workforce could help address both regional shortages and barriers faced by underserved populations.
Our Approach:
Stanislaus Partners in Education (SPIE), in collaboration with HealthForce Partners and Modesto City Schools (MCS), is actively tackling these workforce gaps by creating accessible career pathways for students interested in healthcare. This initiative focuses on:
Healthcare Career Pathways: Over the next two years, we will develop and enhance Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways in healthcare, offering students hands-on experience and guidance through a wide range of career opportunities in the sector, beyond becoming a nurse or doctor.
Comprehensive Career Pathways Guide: Using extensive labor market data, we’ve created a clear, accessible guide to help students understand various healthcare roles, their educational requirements, and career trajectories. This resource demystifies the steps needed to enter these professions.
Data-Driven Solutions: By leveraging real-time data on job openings and critical healthcare needs in the region, we will work with educational partners to align programs with workforce demands, opening pathways for students to secure in-demand roles.
Engagement and Empowerment: This diverse cohort of students brings a range of motivations and challenges. By understanding what drives them, we will develop tools and resources, such as an innovative career pathways website co-designed by the students themselves. The goal is to provide them with the knowledge and confidence to pursue these careers and succeed.
Listening to the Next Generation
By prioritizing student input, we ensure our outreach efforts resonate with the next generation of healthcare professionals. We focus on engaging students from all backgrounds, particularly those in underrepresented and socio-economically disadvantaged communities, who face additional barriers to entering the healthcare field. By incorporating their experiences and personal circumstances—such as financial concerns and family responsibilities—we are tailoring the program to meet their specific needs. This inclusive approach helps students envision themselves in roles they might not have previously considered.
Empowering Underrepresented Communities
Our mission extends beyond building a pipeline of healthcare professionals. We are committed to providing targeted resources and support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping them overcome obstacles that may have hindered their career aspirations. We connect these students with community colleges, universities, and healthcare employers, creating a continuum of support that begins in high school and continues throughout their education and careers.
Strengthening Community Representation in Healthcare
A core mission of this initiative is to ensure the healthcare workforce reflects the communities it serves. By tailoring education and career pathways to local needs and demographics, we aim to create a pipeline of healthcare professionals who understand and are passionate about addressing their communities' needs. This includes fostering opportunities for continued education, from community colleges to four-year institutions and beyond.
Next Steps
The program will run until June 2026, culminating in a large showcase event where students will present their achievements. As these 30 students lead the way, their experiences will create a ripple effect, laying the groundwork for future cohorts and expanded career pathways in the region.
To get involved, reach out to: Courtney Ringsted, courtney@stanislauspartners.com