WEST COVINA, Calif.— Pima Medical Institute, North-West College and Concorde Career College announced they have teamed up to create the Healthcare Career Training Consortium (HCTC). The HCTC was created to support the goal set by Futuro Health to educate 10,000 allied health workers by 2024.
Futuro Health is a nonprofit organization established earlier this year through the $130M commitment of Kaiser Permanente and SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) to improve the health and wealth of communities by growing the largest network of credentialed allied healthcare workers in the nation, beginning in California.
“This partnership helps us scale our ability to educate future frontline workers so important to patients and communities,” said Van Ton-Quinlivan, CEO of Futuro Health. “Our ecosystem brings together partners to tackle the immense shortage in allied health workers in California and across the nation, made even more timely as skillsets shift during the pandemic.”
More than two million California residents between the ages of 18 and 34 have completed high school but have no postsecondary education. The pandemic has also disrupted the livelihood of many, with more than 40 million Americans seeking unemployment. Futuro Health and the HCTC can provide a bridge to individuals searching for a new career or for those who are not planning to attend a traditional college or university due to time, cost or family circumstance.
“The medical assistant role is a good entry point into healthcare, among the few leading to an industry-valued credential in under one year,” said Debbie Yaddow, Futuro Health’s Senior Director of Pathway Development. “SEIU-UHW’s 97,000 healthcare workers lead in scouting and referring candidates who may be a fit for the career.”
Pima Medical Institute will offer introductory online courses for sponsored students who are part of Futuro Health’s new program. Once students successfully complete those classes, they can continue their medical assistant training towards an industry-valued credential at any of the three HCTC colleges.
“Whether a student continues on with us at Pima Medical Institute or another of our partner colleges, our goal is the same – student success,” said Fred Freedman, president and CEO of Pima Medical Institute. “A partnership like this is beneficial to all involved, most importantly the communities that will receive career-ready graduates. We are proud to be part of such a groundbreaking collaboration.”
Programs are offered in a blended format, including on-ground education in real-world medical labs, as well as through flexible online coursework designed to accommodate working adults.
“The adaptability and commitment to student success is what sustains our colleges,” said Jami Frazier, president of Concorde Career College. “With our schools’ various locations, we provide an opportunity for students, no matter where they might be located.”
The HCTC offers numerous training locations beyond California as well, creating the opportunity to eventually expand the partnership across the country.
The relationships between leadership at the consortium’s three inaugural member institutions date back decades. “Each of our colleges represents the best in career education,” North-West College President Mitchell Fuerst said. “Our long history of serving students and connecting newly trained graduates with local employers made this a perfect fit. We are proud to be a part of the Healthcare Career Training Consortium.”
About North-West College
Founded in 1966, North-West College has been committed to training individuals to enter and advance in the health care field for more than 50 years. A leader in allied health education, the College offers short-term programs at seven campuses throughout Southern California, including West Covina, Pomona Valley, Van Nuys, Glendale, Riverside, Anaheim, and Long Beach. Accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE), North-West College offers a supportive educational environment for those ready to start a health care career. To date, the College has graduated more than 50,000 students—individuals who have gone on to raise the standard of excellence at health care organizations of all types.
About Futuro Health
Futuro Health improves the health and wealth of communities by growing the largest network of credentialed allied health care workers in the nation. Futuro Health believes investing in education and skills training and retraining results in better-paying jobs for workers, better service for patients and better workers for businesses to hire. Kaiser Permanente and Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) partnered to establish Futuro Health in January 2020 with a $130 million commitment to grow the largest network of credentialed allied healthcare workers in the nation starting in California. More information at futurohealth.org.
