LA County Healthcare Job Training Program has 400 Enrolled – Stimulus Money For Training

This an interesting stimulus story as it’s doing good putting people to work and getting training, but on the other hand so many hospitals are laying off too? Perhaps the layoffs have stabilized for now and at any rate it can’t hurt to have some free training and get started in a new direction to be prepared when jobs to become available.

We are talking the assistant end here with these jobs like medical assistants, pharmacy techs, etc. jobs that support doctors and nurses. BD

Hundreds of low-income and unemployed residents in Los Angeles County are receiving job training and placement at local hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in an ambitious effort that taps into the growing need for healthcare workers.

The Youth Policy Institute, a local nonprofit managing the program, opened its doors to applicants in March and has already enrolled about 400 trainees. There is room for 1,200 participants total.

"The demand is so great for this," said Dixon Slingerland, executive director of the institute. "The goal is to get them a job as quickly as possible."

The project is funded by $3.6 million in federal stimulus money and $2.4 million in state and local grants. The Youth Policy Institute is one of eight organizations in California and 55 nationwide to receive the federal funds designated for job training in healthcare and other high growth industries.

Participants take free classes at Los Angeles Valley College and complete paid internships as medical assistants, pharmacy technicians and certified nursing assistants.

Many of those enrolled have been laid off and have struggled to find new jobs. The unemployment rate is 12.3% in Los Angeles County and 12.4% in California.

Case manager Sean Ransom told the applicants the program would give them bus tokens and pay for tuition, books and uniforms — costs that could add up to thousands of dollars at a professional school. But he warned them to take the program seriously, show up on time and do the work.