HIP Awarded California Workforce Development Board HRTP’s Resilient Workforce Program Funding
Santa Cruz County: Through funding from Workforce Santa Cruz County (2021-2023) and the California Workforce Development Board High Road Training Partnership’s Resilient Workforce Program (2023-2026), the Health Improvement Partnership of Santa Cruz County (HIP) is pleased to announce the continuation of the Santa Cruz County Health Workforce Council (HWC), launched in June 2022, for the next three years. The council's goals are to build, strengthen and diversify the Santa Cruz County healthcare workforce with qualified individuals who can best support and provide health services to the community, by increasing opportunities for Santa Cruz County residents to advance in health professions and align and expand health education and training through pipeline programs, work-based learning, and continued professional development.
HIP’s Workforce Development Program Manager, Hayley Mears, comments, “With continued and increased engagement and partnerships from local healthcare organizations and training programs, the critical work of the HWC can continue to be impactful and innovative; fostering shared accountability and investment in the development of the workforce needed to support the healthcare needs of our community.”
Several exciting initiatives are underway to enhance Santa Cruz County’s healthcare workforce and there are many growth opportunities based on the HWC’s recommendations for solutions, outlined in HIP’s Santa Cruz County Health Workforce Council: 2023 Workforce Report and Recommendations. This work was funded by the Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board and will guide and inform the HWC projects and partnerships through March 2026 with new funding from the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB), in partnership with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA), via the High Road Training Partnership’s (HRTP) Resilient Workforce Program (RWP). The objectives of the HRTP initiative are to increase access to existing high-road jobs for underserved populations and create pathways for job growth for incumbents already employed with high-road employers. The funding began mid-June 2023 and supports HIP’s workforce development staff in continuing the Santa Cruz County Health Workforce Council (HWC) meetings, workforce track workgroups, and HIP’s annual community forum for the next three years.
Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board’s Director, Andy Stone, reflects that “We have been thrilled to partner with the Health Improvement Partnership and Health Workforce Council to strengthen and diversify this crucial industry. The newly acquired grant presents an exciting opportunity for the Health Workforce Council to continue its work to address critical workforce gaps and provide promising career pathways for Santa Cruz County residents.”
We invite Santa Cruz County healthcare professionals and those working in health education and training programs to join the Health Workforce Council, which meets quarterly, and monthly workgroups as appropriate: Integrated Behavioral Health Action Coalition Workforce Sub-Meeting, Monterey Bay Community Health Workers Collaborative, Medical Assistants Workgroup, Santa Cruz County Nursing Workforce Council, Primary Care Workgroup and Surgical Technician Workgroup. Interested participants can contact HIP’s Workforce Development Program Manager, Hayley Mears, at hmears@hipscc.org.
For more information about our Workforce Development program, please visit www.hipscc.org/workforce.
