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Issue: 1112 Date: 12/15/2011
Become A Fan, Like St. Louis Chinese American News
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STLCC, BJC Form Ideal Business-Education Partnership
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| BJC employees Roxie Rikard, left, and Pauline Wiggins are taking advantage of a program with St. Louis Community College through which BJC employees receive education and training to meet prerequisites to enroll in allied health programs offered at the Forest Park campus. |
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As the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes, employment opportunities in the healthcare industry are expected to increase dramatically now and in the near future, and critical shortages currently exist in many healthcare-related occupations. Addressing the shortage requires meaningful strategic alliances among healthcare employers and colleges to ensure that emerging, transitional and current workers are prepared for careers in a complex, rapidly-changing field.
An ideal business-education partnership between the St. Louis region's largest employer and a higher education provider now is under way. Employees at BJC HealthCare are taking advantage of a company tuition reimbursement benefit to get a jumpstart on training for jobs in these skilled areas through a partnership program with St. Louis Community College, whereby BJC employees can receive education and training to meet prerequisites for enrollment in allied health programs offered at the college's Forest Park campus.
STLCC has partnered with several healthcare institutions locally to provide accelerated training programs for their employees that serve as pathways to various STLCC allied health programs.
Through this agreement with BJC, STLCC offers courses for up to 24 BJC employees in the areas of biology, chemistry, general microbiology, and anatomy and physiology, totaling 21 credit hours. Students who successfully complete these courses will be prepared and eligible to enroll in one of several allied health programs at STLCC-Forest Park. Forest Park is Missouri's leading provider of health technology training, offering 13 medical programs ranging from funeral services and diagnostic medical sonography to dental hygiene, nursing, respiratory therapy and health information technology.
A block of classes are taught at the BJC Center for Life Long Learning; the lab sessions associated with the classes are conducted at STLCC-Forest Park.
Workforce Responsiveness
Patricia McEwen, dean of allied health and natural sciences at Forest Park, said the partnership aligns with the college's strategic direction to improve responsiveness to workforce needs.
"It is a privilege to work with BJC in achieving this goal of providing allied health professionals to this ever demanding work force," she said. "STLCC and BJC share the same goals of student success, and ultimately, employment in St. Louis and the surrounding area. This partnership certainly can be viewed as a win-win for both STLCC and BJC."
Gary Stocker, senior program manager at the CLL, said employers appreciate flexibility in developing pathways that provide the most benefit to their employees.
"As our employees complete their general education requirements, BJC provides them with the option of either a clinical or non-clinical track toward a degree of their choice," Stocker said. "The academic partnership with St. Louis Community College provides a clinical pathway that many of our employees choose. The employees are able to take the lecture classes at the BJC Learning Institute, and lab classes on the Forest Park campus. Our employees have reported great value in studying the course materials with their BJC colleagues. As an organization, we also place value in this cohort model of learning."
In 2012, Stocker said BJC employees will begin their clinical rotations for their allied health degrees through one of the 13 BJC HealthCare hospital and service organizations.
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