CareerSource Palm Beach County Awarded $600,000 Grant to Place Individuals on the Pathway to Demand-Driven Healthcare Careers
West Palm Beach, Fla (PRWEB) June 10, 2016 -- CareerSource Palm Beach County announced today that it has been awarded a $600,000 grant from the Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation to help provide unemployed and underemployed county residents with healthcare career opportunities while addressing the local shortage of geriatric healthcare professionals.
The combination of our aging population, increase in life expectancy and a decrease in the relative number of younger persons prompts an increasing demand for geriatric care. While all healthcare professionals serve older patients, specific expertise is needed to meet unique geriatric needs. Less than 1 percent of Registered Nurses (RNs) hold gerontological certifications and only about 6 percent of Palm Beach County RNs work in long-term healthcare.
“We are honored and delighted to have been selected as a Farris Foundation grant recipient,” said Steve Craig, president and chief executive officer of CareerSource Palm Beach County, the nonprofit organization chartered by the state to lead workforce development in Palm Beach County. “Palm Beach County is home to the state’s largest population of residents 85 and older – a key factor in geriatric healthcare workforce shortages that is projected to continue to grow. This program will help low-income individuals enter and advance along demand-driven, well-paying healthcare career pathways.”
As the steward of Palm Beach County’s workforce development system, CareerSource Palm Beach County is keenly aware of the challenges faced by career seekers hoping to secure employment in healthcare and other high-skill, high-wage sectors that require education and credentials beyond a high school diploma. During the past two program years, CareerSource assisted nearly 50,000 residents find employment ranging from entry level to executive suite, with salaries from these jobs creating $1 billion in annual average wages. More information is available at http://www.careersourcepbc.com.
The Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation supports projects designed to enable people to help themselves lead successful, inspired and fulfilling lives. The Foundation focuses its general grant-making in the areas of education and research, health and well-being, and arts and culture. Further, it emphasizes the support of projects that stimulate innovation, strengthen individuals and families, and can demonstrate a sustainable impact. More information is available at http://www.farrisfdn.org.
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Tom Veenstra, CareerSource Palm Beach County, http://www.careersourcepbc.com, +1 5613401060 Ext: 2229, [email protected]
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