From Classroom to Clinic: A Roadmap for Building a Seamless Healthcare CTE Pipeline

According to the U.S. Census, healthcare remains the largest employer in the country. So, it makes sense for school administration to focus on healthcare when providing career and technical education (CTE) programs to high school students.       Healthcare workers demonstrate a wide range of knowledge, employability, and technical skills, including skills in operating medical equipment, recording and tracking patient progress and addressing safety concerns and patient needs. In addition, there are many non-technical jobs in healthcare such as roles in marketing, sales, management, and education. With healthcare CTE programs, high school students are informed about healthcare career possibilities early on and have the opportunity to earn certifications to get started in this booming industry.       

The Importance of Healthcare CTE Programs

The combination of employment growth and professionals leaving the field is causing overall employment in healthcare occupations to grow exponentially. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports an average number of 1.8 million job openings annually through 2032. However, organizations are struggling to fill an array of open positions. According to Oracle, the U.S. healthcare workforce shortage includes all types of healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, aides, and techs. More people need to be guided towards these careers to give patients the best possible care.  But, healthcare isn’t discussed in depth in traditional school curricula and young people won’t pursue a career they know nothing about. Exposure to various healthcare fields is crucial to the development of career interests for adolescents and young adults. When school districts provide healthcare CTE programs to students, they’re further preparing young people to take hold of all the opportunities in the field and secure their place in the industry with education.

Building The Pipeline

If you’re committed to bringing healthcare CTE programs to your school district, then you must think about what students want when they graduate.  Answering the following questions will help:   Do they want to gain more knowledge about health science careers before attending a community college or 4-year institution?

• Do they want to earn industry healthcare certificates to move directly into the workforce?
• What kind of experiences do students need to succeed in healthcare upon graduation?
• If it’s certification courses, then what support are these students going to need to earn these certificates?  

When you know the answers to these questions, then you can provide what students need. For most, this will be industry-related certificates with support from professionals who know the workforce. For example, the leadership of the Cumberland Valley School District in central Pennsylvania saw a need for more healthcare CTE programs when their career and tech center was filled. They partnered with Emerge Education to provide a comprehensive approach to healthcare education, which includes academic training, practical experience, and hands-on learning.  According to Dr. Mark Blanchard, the Superintendent for Cumberland Valley School District, 44 students were enrolled in the program by mid-October, and 22 were interested in joining.  Leadership in this school district worked with Emerge Education to make a plan and execute a program, so students gain real-world healthcare knowledge and experience. As more school districts partner with healthcare CTE program providers, the classroom-to-clinic pipeline will increase and positively impact the workforce.    

Key Benefits of Healthcare CTE Programs

When school districts offer healthcare CTE programs, they’re not just fulfilling their responsibilities to provide CTE to students. They’re also building a stronger community, providing real-world education, and instilling a love for lifelong learning in young people.  

Meeting Community Needs

Communities are increasingly in need of skilled healthcare workers. Healthcare CTE can meet community needs by strengthening the classroom-to-clinic pipeline. It encourages students to enter the healthcare field, boosts the local economy with filled roles, and closes the skills gap with industry certificates. 

Aligning Current Curriculum With Industry Standards

One of the criticisms of traditional high school education is it focuses too much on “teaching to the test” and as a result isn’t preparing graduates for the real world. With healthcare, CTE students participate in hands-on learning while gaining industry standards of education to enter the modern workforce.    

Cultivating Lifelong Learning

Since the world is always changing, the most successful professionals in their careers have cultivated joy in lifelong learning. This is evident in learning and development programs offered by employers or when professionals choose to enroll in a graduate degree. Students who participate in healthcare CTE build the foundation to adapt to change throughout their lives.    

Where Does Emerge Fit In?

A YouScience 2022 Survey reports that 75% of high school students feel unprepared to make important college or career decisions after graduation. When students have the opportunity to participate in healthcare CTE, such as the programs offered by Emerge, it can be life-changing in terms of future education and career success.  For instance, our Emerge Prepared program provides: 

• Healthcare certificate programs customized to your school district’s needs
• Dedicated staff to provide support for your school’s administration, faculty, and staff   
• Student success coaches for students who enroll in healthcare certification courses

If you’re interested in partnering with Emerge to provide healthcare CTE programs to your students, then schedule a meeting with our secondary education expert, Kelly Lougee today.