The Poughkeepsie Alliance has recently been focused on the area of workforce development and is attuned to the fact that Poughkeepsie youth are looking for employment opportunities that will provide both a livable wage and a trajectory toward more advanced, satisfying and well-paying professional development opportunities.

Meanwhile, local health care providers struggle to find individuals to fill the ranks of numerous positions ranging from Medical Technician to Phlebotomist to Nurse to Physicians Assistant. Although an employee might come to the health care field at an entry level position, there are a number of paths for advancement into a professional healthcare career.

In response to this, the Poughkeepsie Alliance has recently convened a number of critical stakeholders who share an interest in creating Career Paths in Health Care. Currently, this initiative includes representatives from our local educational institutions as well as major area health care providers: City of Poughkeepsie School District, Dutchess Community College, Dutchess County BOCES, Marist College, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, and Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital.

While many of the course programs currently offered by local schools correlate with the employment needs of the two hospitals, there remain gaps that this work group will seek to fill, thus strengthening the Career Paths that serve both potential employees and critical health care providers.