CNN | The healthcare sector emerges as a lifeline for struggling job seekers
While millions of Americans are struggling to find jobs in a tough labor market, healthcare is emerging as a lifeline for career changers. After six years as a stay-at-home mother, Cynthia Webster, 50, planned last year to reenter the workforce, bracing for a potentially frustrating job search. So Webster, who had no healthcare sector experience, signed up for a six-week training course through her local hospital in Palm Bay, Florida, that cost her less than $2,000…UCHealth, a health system based in Colorado that employs around 37,000 people, currently has dozens of job openings that have nothing to do with healthcare, ranging from accounts payable analyst to HVAC mechanic. “Healthcare is kind of like a small city,” said Angela Spinelli, senior director of talent acquisition at UCHealth. “We have all manner of positions available, from finance to HR, all of the above, so there’s something for everyone.” The system also offers training for employees who want to move up or even pivot into patient-facing healthcare jobs, such as nursing. UCHealth has eliminated high school and GED requirements for many entry-level roles in order to “get more people in the door,” Spinelli said.