STLCC Receives #3.7 Million Education Grant

By Holly Shanks
(from 2011 November STLCC Forum Student Newspaper)

  St. Louis Community College recently won a $3.7 million grant to help create and implement new training systems for education of healthcare informatics and therapeutic services.  As part of a larger $500 million community college career training grant announced by U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis and Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter.  

  The college expects to serve more than 1100 St. Louis area residents including a range of unemployed and under-employed workers, “We are absolutely excited about being on the cutting edge to help students get their healthcare credentials and get good jobs,” said Steve Long, Director of Workforce and Community Development.    
   

  The 3 year grant opens up the door to a training model with an innovative new approach. Long also said, “This is more than just a training program.”  STLCC will be part of building a “new box” to improve healthcare training methods and allow a higher number of people to move through the education process quicker and with a greater degree of retention.

  Missouri obtained a $20 million grant award from this Labor Department funding, from which STLCC will receive its funds called the MoHealthWINS grant.

  Governor Jay Nixon teamed with Missouri’s 12 community colleges and Linn State Technical College to establish training initiatives. The Missouri Department of Economic Development and Workforce Investment boards will collaborate with colleges to apply the federal grand funding.     

 An analysis from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center states that by 2025, the national nursing and healthcare support shortage could possibly grow to 1 million people.

  Several factors including aging of the baby boomer generation and lack of trained faculty contribute to the shortage in multiple areas of the healthcare industry.  Expanding education and offering training opportunities for individuals to enter the healthcare field is a step forward in alleviating the shortage.    

  STLCC will be on the front lines of transforming new standards for healthcare industry training and career pathways. Streamlining and improving the process for accelerated and easier ways for people to obtain degrees and certificates is a focal point of the new strategies.

  Highly targeted program steps such as “Healthcare Portals” will assist with basic skills instruction to advance students college preparedness and provide career exploration and coaching.

  “Boot Camps” will create an intensive, short term, learning process to help students with more challenging courses, such as chemistry and biology, mixing on-line and hybrid learning.

  Collective groups of students will go through classes together as “cohort-based learning communities” with “Career Pathway Coaches” acting as advisors and guides.   

  “Stackable credentials” will allow multiple entry points on the road from entry level to Associate Degree in Nursing, and a “newly created Medical Services Workforce Outsourcing Center” will assist students with various opportunities, such as internships. 

  The new processes will be implemented in stages. An official timeline has yet to be announced, but it is possible first stages will be seen by summer or fall of the 2012 semesters.   

  More information will be released in the near future about implementation and to detail requirements and eligibility.  At this time interested parties may call or leave a message referencing the MoHealthWINS grant with the “training hotline” at 314-539-5310.