ADVENTHEALTH & CAREERSOURCE TAMPA BAY TEAM UP WITH AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM TO HELP YOUNG ADULTS BUILD STRONG CAREERS IN HEALTH CARE
- Date 10.09.2023
- Media Contact CarlaOrtiz
- e-mail [email protected]
Tampa, Fla. (Tuesday, August 15, 2023) – A new health care apprenticeship program at AdventHealth is helping young adults in our area build strong careers in the medical field. These students, carefully selected from their respective communities, are gaining valuable skills and experience in phlebotomy, which is taking and preparing patient blood samples for testing.
AdventHealth and Ultimate Medical Academy were chosen to partner with CareerSource Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners to implement the first health care Apprenticeship-to-Career Empowerment Program (ACE). CareerSource Tampa Bay and the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners have already worked together for three years on providing paths for other career fields, but this is the first of their programs in health care.
Students were carefully selected from our community with a rigorous interview process. The program includes the opportunity for them to earn a professional career certificate, gain paid work experience, and have assistance in preparation for entering the professional workforce. It also starts them on the path to becoming a nationally certified laboratory assistant.
“The Phlebotomy program focuses specifically on phlebotomy as a part of Laboratory Assisting. These students will earn a career certificate from the National Healthcareer Association and are also learning to assist Medical Laboratory Scientists in our AdventHealth hospital laboratories,” said Mistie Palmer, AdventHealth Learning Operations Manager. “AdventHealth recognizes that these team members are crucial to the Medical Laboratory Team in providing expert, whole-person care to our community.”
Employment of phlebotomists is projected to grow 10 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Florida also has one of the highest employment levels for phlebotomists in the country.
This partnership between AdventHealth and UMA, combined with the support of CareerSource, has created an environment where aspiring individuals can find their footing and embark on a journey in the medical field.
This current group of students will have the chance to apply for AdventHealth positions.
CSTB currently is not accepting enrollments into the ACE program. However, CSTB is accepting names to a waiting list and are scheduled to offer Phlebotomy again in February 2024.