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needed to support a friend, family member or co-worker experiencing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis such as being suicidal. There’s also a lot of discussion going on between education programs and employers about how to solve today’s acute staffing shortages. “The shortage of healthcare workers has been one of the ongoing challenges through the pandemic, and what we’ve seen in education is a need to rapidly expand our enrollment, so we’re providing more well-prepared graduates into the health care system,” says Melissa Majerus, Ph.D., Director of Student Development, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. “This is true for all levels of jobs, from entry-level professions like phlebotomists and pharmacy technicians, to respiratory therapists and our advanced practice providers like nurse practitioners and physician assistants/associates. Mayo Clinic has recently announced the opening of an Office for Academic Partnerships. This office, a collaboration between the Education and Research Shields and Human Resources, will be looking to develop very formal, documented and measured partnerships with key academic partners. These partnerships will provide exchange experiences for both learners and faculty as well as potential research collaborations and intentional talent pathway building.
At UMR specifically, they have used the lessons learned in this disruptive period to design a new student engagement platform with Google Cloud and a new accelerated yet experiential approach to college education – a fast track into careers in the business and leadership of healthcare. This NXT GEN program offers a low cost, world-class college degree for students whose ambition to move forward to career launch just can’t wait. “We’re looking for trailblazers who are ready to get started in August of 2022, with paid internships, scholarships, small classes, a success coach and career opportunities,” Dr. Carrell says. “With the many societal needs competing for state funding and increasing workforce shortages, public higher education will become more and more interdependent with our values-aligned partners.” UMR’s partnership with Mayo Clinic has continued to expand in the last year, with the development of new NXT GEN internships in progress. “One of the most important endeavors in the pandemic period was a deep dive qualitative study into the specific competencies that Mayo Clinic hiring managers seek in non-patient care roles,” Dr. Carrell says. “We’re ensuring that NXT GEN students develop those competencies and can showcase that career-connected learning for future employers.”
There has been a lot of discussion between education programs and employers about how to solve today’s acute staffing shortages.
Photo Credit: Winona State University - Rochester
Advantage Magazine | 9
May 2022
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