Health Care Workforce - Priorities
Established in late 2004, the Regional Skills Alliance (RSA) Board developed its initial strategic plan, with an overriding philosophy to focus primarily on activities leading toward “systemic change” to reach these goals rather than short-term fixes. Since that time, several overriding goals have served as benchmarks for developing projects. These goals include:
- Increase skilled workers in key occupations
- Establish a uniform assessment system
- Strengthen the capacity of Michigan Works! Agencies to serve the health care industry
- Establish and maintain collaborative relationships
- Increase retention among health care workers
During its first two years, the Health Care Employers Council members learned about health care workforce initiatives in the region and discussed issues that were important to them in order to identify what the priorities should be. These priorities would provide guidance to enable workforce development agencies and educational institutions to design and implement programs to meet employers' needs. A consensus was reached in late 2008 that the highest priority projects were:
- Health career assessment and coaching program
- Health career coaching curriculum and training development
- Health care workforce development tools
- Health care workforce forecasting system
The goals and priorities will undergo periodic review in order to assure the RSA initiative is addressing key health care workforce system issues.