Pima Community College is enrolling students in its new Pathways to Healthcare program.
The program pays for job training through a five-year, $18.5 million federal Health Professions Opportunity Grant.
"The goal is to move the low-income participants into self-sustaining health-care careers," said Brian Stewart, a program manager at PCC's Center for Training and Development.
Who can apply
The program will serve about 1,700 low-income residents of Pima County over five years.
About 120 students will be active by September.
Many participants will be from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families welfare program.
How to apply
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Students must apply through Pima County OneStop.
The center is hosting free information sessions at 9:30 a.m. every Friday at Rio Nuevo OneStop, 340 N. Commerce Park Loop.
Those who are interested also can stop by or call the center at 798-0500 and ask for the "HPOG" program.
What the grant pays for
Scholarships cover some or all tuition and fees, plus funds are available to cover transportation and child-care costs for some participants.
Types of training offered
There are 15 programs, all in health fields.
Some take as little as two months to earn a certificate, and others take up to two years to earn an associate's degree.
The programs are:
Community health worker; direct-care provider; medical office; nurse assistant; phlebotomy; EMT basic; medical assistant; medical records and coding; patient-care technician; surgical technician; clinical-trial coordinator; EMT paramedic; health-information technology; practical nursing; and pharmacy technician.
The college also is working in a behavioral-health-technician program.
Participants will have the same classes and opportunities as other students, plus they will get extra support from advisers.
After the programs, the college and the county will help with job placement and evaluate the success of the training programs.
Wages, job openings
The college evaluated job-market needs and earnings potential when selecting the job-training programs, Stewart said. The intent is to help each student earn the highest wage possible, but sometimes employment is the first step in moving up the ladder, he said.
The pharmacy-technician field is expected to grow 20 percent in the Tucson area from 2008 to 2018. The health-information-technician field is expected to grow about 18 percent, according to state occupational projections.
Why program is needed
"There are folks who need to get started, folks who need to transition into a new career, and there are folks who - because of the economy - need to retool.
"This is their opportunity to get new skills," said Johnson Bia, a Pima College campus president and a member of the Pima County Workforce Investment Board.
The program can help the county fill important work-force needs and help the poor become less dependent on taxpayer-supported programs, Stewart said.
It is a community effort that is energizing partnerships to help the poor, Bia added.
Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@azstarnet.com or 807-8012.
