Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC), a Founding Partner of SOAR, was recently awarded a Health Pathways grant.  The $819,830 grant will allow the college to redesign and enhance health profession training programs for trade-impacted and other low skill workers.

ACTC is part of a national Health Professions Pathways (H2P) Consortium that received a total of $19 million in Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College amp; Career Training Grants funded through the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

The H2P grant is one of several federal grants to community colleges announced this month to provide training and workforce development for economically dislocated workers who are changing careers. The grants support partnerships between community colleges and employers to develop programs that provide pathways to good jobs and that include programs that meet specific industry needs.

This initiative is about providing access to training that leads to real jobs,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “These federal grants will enable community colleges, employers and other partners to prepare job candidates for new careers in high-wage, high-skills fields.

The H2P Grant goals are to increase the preparation and support opportunities for health profession training, provide training in competencies needed by industry, and develop assessment measures for continuous improvement.

The H2P Consortium, led by Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, includes ACTC, El Centro College, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, City Colleges of Chicago, Community College of the District of Columbia, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Owens Community College, Pine Technical College and Texarkana College.

All H2P consortium colleges have been operating allied health and nursing programs for many years and have a history of serving trade-impacted and other low-skilled workers.

National partners supporting this consortium include the Hospital Corporation of America, Kindred Healthcare, the American Medical Association, National Network of Health Career Programs in Two-Year Colleges, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM, the Office of Community College Research and Leadership at the University of Illinois, and the National Association of Workforce Boards.

ACTCs specific activities for the three-year grant will include: development of a health core curriculum with local health care employers and Workforce Investment Act partners; creation of a simulation laboratory for use by allied health and nursing students; development of a contextualized developmental mathematics course for allied health students; and creation of a clear career pathway for allied health students.