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$25 Million to Create Local Jobs in Healthcare Industry
October 13, 2010 (San Diego) -- In the midst of federal healthcare reform and high unemployment, San Diego County has been awarded a $25 million grant to help create local jobs within the healthcare industry, officials announced today.
The County of San Diego's Health and Human Services Agency and San Diego Workforce Partnership will receive the only Health Profession Opportunity grant in the state. The grant will provide $5 million per year for five years and will be used to fund "The Bridge to Employment in the Healthcare Industry Program." This program will help existing welfare recipients and other low income adults earn certificates and degrees in health-related professions in hospital and emergency services, medical laboratories, medical offices, out-patient services, and long-term care.
The "Bridge to Employment" grant will also assist with transportation, and child care, and will link participants to career opportunities in the healthcare field.
"This grant comes at a time of historically high unemployment -currently 10.6 percent in San Diego County - and there is a pressing need for help," said Supervisor Ron Roberts, District 4. "This award will certainly help get people back on their feet and it will create healthcare jobs for residents of our county."
"This is a golden opportunity to help San Diegans who are in the CalWORKS program compete for jobs in a growing industry and to become self-sufficient," said Supervisor Greg Cox, District 1.
"Knowing the impact this grant will have is reassuring to me, and gives me hope that our San Diego neighbors will get more of the help they need," said Councilman Todd Gloria, City of San Diego
"The County's newly passed Health Strategy Agenda, which includes building a better system and focusing on service delivery, is what this grant is all about," said Nick Macchione, Director of the County Health and Human Services Agency. "When you have hundreds of thousands of San Diegans who will now be insured as the result of healthcare reform, having a skilled workforce to meet the needs within the healthcare industry is especially crucial. This grant will go along way in helping our community prepare for health reform."
"This grant could not have come at a more critical time. It will allow our education partners to train more county residents for meaningful employment opportunities within our local healthcare sector, while simultaneously aligning our programs and resources with the broader healthcare strategy put forward by the County Health and Human Services Agency earlier this year," said Mark Cafferty, CEO of San Diego Workforce Partnership.
This grant is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, administered by the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) - Office of Family Assistance.
To find out more about the Health Profession Opportunity grant, visit http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/09d/state_charts2.html.
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