UCHealth Parkview Medical Center – School to Employment Program

UCHealth Parkview Medical Center, like all hospitals across Colorado and the country, experienced the effects of the health care workforce shortage issue and set out to do something about it. As a result of the continued workforce shortage issues, UCHealth Parkview Medical Center implemented the School to Employment Program (STEP), which creates relationships and connections with high school seniors in the Pueblo District 70 schools with the goal of encouraging the students to seek careers in the health care field and future employment opportunities with UCHealth Parkview Medical Center. This program is not new at UCHealth Parkview Medical Center, as they have collaborated with high school students in this capacity for over 21 years.

The goals and objectives of the STEP program include the following:

• Provide high school students with a safe and all-encompassing learning experience in health care related fields.
• Expose high school students to a variety of health care careers.
• Help students to identify if health care careers are the right fit for them.
• Provide a pathway for students to enroll in and complete health care related courses of study and degrees at local colleges.
• Provide both a pathway and pipeline for students into health care careers and future employment opportunities at UCHealth Parkview Medical Center.

The STEP program has realized many successes to date. Approximately 70 percent of STEP alumni have worked or currently work in health care. Additionally, many of the STEP alumni have chosen health care careers at UCHealth Parkview Medical Center. Finally, students often complete their senior year, obtain a certified nursing assistant (CNA) license and work at UCHealth Parkview Medical Center as a CNA while continuing their education.

To learn more about the STEP program, please contact Kristin Valdez at [email protected].