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In This Issue:
BWH’s Workforce Development has been busy wrapping up year-long programs that support employees who are interested in advancing their careers and implementing summer programs for local youth.
Workforce Development offers a variety of career development and education preparation courses, including career coaching and counseling, reading and writing skills, citizenship classes, and patient care assistant training. Workforce Development is also strongly engaged in community outreach and nurtures the growth and professional development of local students through its Summer Youth Program and Summer College Internship Program.
“The dedication my team has to serving the youth, employees and community around the Brigham is amazing,” said Geoff Vercauteren, RCC, JCDC, who has served as director since August 2006. “They are a great group of people who aren’t afraid to try new things and think creatively about the best ways to implement our mission.”
This summer, the team celebrated its fifth annual Employee Recognition luncheon. Workforce Development team members, HR staff, program participants and their managers gathered at One Brigham Circle to share their successes from the past year. Vercauteren thanked program participants for their hard work and dedication, and managers for being flexible, and supporting their employees as they utilized career development resources and programming.
“Thank you for taking a risk,” Vercauteren told participants. “It is not always easy or comfortable, yet you did it and you did it successfully. We’re proud of what you’ve accomplished.”
In her keynote address, OR Nursing Director Pearl Cunningham, MBA, RN, CNOR, who has worked at BWH since 1992, spoke about the challenges and triumphs of being a single mother at age 18 and furthering her education to attain her dream job.
“I look out at you all and see enthusiasm, hope and positivity,” said Cunningham.
Edwina Williams, a CPE coordinator for Admitting Services and a 2012 graduate of Workforce Development’s School at Work program, gave the student address. She expressed her gratitude to BWH and her managers and colleagues.
“We are completely surrounded by success; we walk among greatness,” said Williams. “And we have an obligation to advance our education, too. School at Work elevated my confidence and helped me soar to new heights. It taught me the skills and study habits I will need as I am on my way to attaining my dream job here at the Brigham.”
This month also marked the end of this year’s Summer Youth Program, which matched 105 local high school students with six-week paid positions throughout BWH, including Central Transport, Materials Management, Food Services, Workforce Development, and clinical and research labs. The program is fully funded by BWH and got its start in 2002. For many students, it is their first work experience and helps them discover a passion within the health care field.
“We are the second largest employer of youth in the city,” Vercauteren said of BWH.
In addition to their work assignment, summer youth students participated in a variety of events coordinated by Workforce Development’s HR representative and Youth Programs Coordinator, Wendy Lam, including a financial seminar and an interactive workshop about cardiovascular disease presented by Cardiovascular Wellness Center nurse practitioner Aileen Sauris, APRN-BC.
Interested in WFD’s School at Work program?
What is School at Work?
It’s a free, comprehensive employee training and development program held at BWH’s main campus that provides an opportunity for entry-level employees at BWH to improve their skills and advance to higher positions within the hospital.
The program, which begins again this November, uses a combination of classroom, DVD, Internet and workbook instruction and is taught on-site. It functions as a “bridge” program that prepares employees for better-paying jobs and entrance to college.
What will be covered?
Organizational skills, time management, writing and sentence structure, basic grammar rules, math, basic medical terminology, customer service skills, HIPPA regulations, communication skills and more.
The schedule
Wednesdays, 3 to 5:30 p.m., from Nov. 2012 to May 2013, at BWH’s main campus
To apply
Submit an application, essay and manager’s recommendation letter. For more information, visit BWHPikeNotes.org, or call 617-713-3738.