Partnership trains City Mission clients for work in health care

A partnership with two Fostoria agencies will help fill vacancies at area health care facilities while offering training for residents of Findlay's homeless shelter. The EVS Plus Program is a partnership between City Mission of Findlay, ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital, the Fostoria Learning Center, Northwest State Community College in Archbold, and OhioMeansJobs-Hancock County. The program will offer clients of City Mission the opportunity to earn three industry-recognized credentials that will enable them to fill vacant environmental services and nutritional services positions at local hospitals. Students will complete 24 hours of curriculum in an industry-recognized Certified Health Care Environmental Services Technician (CHEST) program, a 16-hour ServSafe program and a 10-hour Ohio Safety and Health Administration certification course. This will qualify them for employment at an area health care facility and for funding through OhioMeansJobs. In total, the programs will involve 50 hours of comprehensive training. The programs were scheduled to begin Tuesday at the Fostoria Learning Center with the CHEST course. The primary focus will be to train City Mission residents who are seeking entry-level positions in health care. As a result of the City Mission's recent workforce pathway programming, 11 of 13 participants in welding and manufacturing training programs are now employed. This new Healthcare Services Program will include five participants. "The City Mission is excited to be on this journey with such amazing partners," said Kathryn Bausman, executive director of the shelter. "This is the third class in our Workforce Development Program; each one has been different and has allowed us to offer a variety of opportunities to our guests." Said Tom Borer, vice president of operations at ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital: "There are many things that impact a person's health — your job, your education, your lifestyle and even where you live. While clinical and medical care make up about 20% of your health, the other 80% is affected by your environment. This partnership will help the participants develop the necessary skills to enter the workforce, and we hope to provide them with an opportunity to be employed by a health and well-being organization like ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital that has been a staple in our community for more than 90 years." ProMedica will provide two instructors to assist learners. OhioMeansJobs-Hancock County, meanwhile, will provide case-management services to participants and funding to these programs that are meeting the needs of local employers. "I am very excited to be able to partner with ProMedica, NSCC, City Mission, Fostoria Learning Center, and Fostoria Economic Development Corporation to offer training in an in-demand field," said Randall Galbraith, director of Hancock County Job & Family Services. "The shortage of labor in the health care field is well documented, and this partnership will bring together an employer in need with a trained pool of potential employees." The Fostoria Learning Center is the site for all of the training programs throughout this partnership. To date, the center has provided a facility for a welding program and a manufacturing program for residents of the City Mission.