Healthcare is one corner of the job market forecast to keep growing and those programs at the Kenai Peninsula College continue to see high demands each semester, but where are those graduates going?
At the last Kenai Peninsula Borough Health Care Task Force meeting many providers cited inabilities to recruit and retain healthcare employees as a major hurdle.
KPC’s Suzie Kendrick says enrollment in the nursing, paramedic and certified nursing assistants programs continue to grow.
Kendrick: “People have to have clinical internships as part of these programs and due to our small area we have limited numbers of folks that we can put through those programs but I can tell you that every time it comes around those programs are full. They are very competitive.”
The classes to begin degrees in allied health careers like dental hygienists are offered at KPC but the classes for completion must be taken elsewhere.
Kendrick: “You can be very very prepared so that when you do get to UAA or any other institution that you can be taking the specific classes for those specific programs. Another thing for folks to remember is that a lot of the classes that are necessary for these types of specialized degree programs are available at the Kenai River Campus via video conferencing.”
Kendrick says despite the limited amount of students that can be put through the programs, those that graduate are almost 100% placed locally in the healthcare industry.
She also invited anyone interested in the the University’s School of Allied Health to attend a presentation by Linda Hernandez at 2:00 pm on October 16.