RANSON, W.Va. – Jefferson County Schools (JCS), in partnership with WVU Medicine and Blue Ridge Community and Technical College (CTC), kicked off its new MedEd program on August 23.
This unique, two-year program offers eligible high school students a direct career path into the healthcare industry. The MedEd program provides juniors and seniors at Jefferson High School (JCS) and Washington High School (WHS) the opportunity to train as either a Laboratory Technician or Patient Care Technician.
WVU Medicine Jefferson Medical Center hosted a kickoff event for participating students and their families at the hospital’s pavilion on Wednesday. According to Justin Ruble, Vice President of Human Resources at WVU Medicine Berkeley and Jefferson Medical Centers, WVU Medicine is committed to offering job opportunities to students after their successful completion of the program.
“Healthcare jobs are in high demand, and the need for skilled workers is omnipresent post-COVID-19 pandemic and with the challenges presented by labor market volatility,” Ruble said. “This MedEd program partnership with Jefferson County Schools and other partners provides essential classroom and hands-on training for high school juniors and seniors, leading to tangible skills that will translate to the workplace in an acute care, ambulatory, or laboratory setting. We look forward to and are committed to investing the time and resources to ensure this workforce development and career pathway program is a success.”
Beginning their junior year, students in the MedEd program will complete two of five courses through Blue Ridge CTC, followed by field experiences within a hospital setting. Students will select their career path senior year and complete a paid internship with WVU Medicine, along with the remaining coursework. Upon successful completion of the MedEd program, students may take the certification exam for their chosen path. There are currently 22 students participating.
JCS Superintendent Dr. Chuck Bishop said he is excited to see community partners working with the school system.
“When I started my career 32 years ago, school districts often operated in their own silo, not partnering with community or business partners or other educational institutions,” Bishop said. “Over the past several years, however, that has changed, and we have realized that we can positively impact students, their families, and our community through collaboration and a pooling of resources.”
The program will begin in the 2023-24 school year and is free of charge to successful applicants. For more information, visit www.jcswv.org/meded.