UPMC strives to be the local employer of choice in each community it serves and works diligently to create career opportunities for our neighbors, our friends, and in many cases our family members.
Earlier this spring, the campuses of UPMC Somerset and UPMC Western Maryland were filled with local high school students eager to learn about both clinical and non-clinical careers that are available in health care. The events were planned in partnership with hospital leaders, UPMC Talent Acquisition, and local school districts. In addition to educating the students about specific job roles in health care, the other objective was to combat the misconception that students in rural communities need to migrate to larger cities to gain meaningful employment. While some of the students took the opportunity to learn more about career paths in health care, others were completely undecided and used the event as a starting place for future goals.
“The future of health care is dependent on developing the next generation of health care workers,” said Brook Emerick, recruitment lead, Talent Acquisition, UPMC. “There are many opportunities in health care for great jobs, in the communities we serve, with life-sustaining wages that don’t require an advanced education or direct patient care. It is important that we educate our future workforce about all the possibilities.”
Students had the opportunity to listen to representatives from many departments at the hospitals to gain a better understanding of educational requirements, expected salary, and opportunities for advancement within each job role. They also went on a tour of the hospitals and were able to see the work of some departments firsthand along with the impact they have on the local community. Additionally, students received information about UPMC’s benefits, including tuition assistance, as they approach graduation.
Events like career day aim to educate students about the vast opportunities that exist within health care and the important role each of these opportunities play in the delivery of high-quality health care to patients.
“When many people think of working in a hospital, they immediately think of providing direct patient care,” said David Bertoty, chief nursing officer and vice president, Patient Care Services, UPMC Somerset. “The fact is: Providing high-quality health care is dependent on many different job roles — from environmental service associates and electricians to information technology experts. Providing patient care would not be possible without our entire team.”
This article was originally published in First Friday, UPMC’s digital internal magazine, publishes monthly and aims to capture the spirit of innovation, dedication to caring, and attention to quality that permeates the work done across UPMC every day.
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