Quad City Area Health Careers Expo for students
On Thursday & Friday, students will have the opportunity to try their hand at what a career in the healthcare field could be like. The 7th and 8th graders will be able to learn about the pathways and training towards careers in the health field, learn about the tools & equipment used and speak with healthcare professionals.
This was born out of a collaboration between several organizations that came together hoping to impact the workforce here in the Quad Cities. Nancy Adams, Work Force Development Specialist for Genesis says this will be the 4th year for the expo and it's been a success in the past. " It's exciting for them to meet a paramedic for the first time or get in an ambulance for the first time or talk to a chiropractor for the first time."
The organizations involved feel strongly that our future workforce is in the desks of students today.
Adams also shares, "It gives them a chance to have some hands-on experience and then ask those burning questions of...What does a typical day look like for you? How do you go about getting a degree to do this job? So it's really about career exploration and planting the seeds of success for them."
There are interactive stations for students to go through and as they make their way through they are able to the test the waters in a variety of different jobs. Those stations are set up by the organizations below...
* To the Rescue- Genesis Health System
* Your brain, Your spine, Your health- Palmer College
* The Beat Goes On- Black Hawk College/Eastern Iowa Community College
* You're Just our Type- Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center
* The Air We Breathe- St. Ambrose University
* The Path You Choose- Local colleges/universities.
It's expected that careers within the health field will grow twice as fast as the average of all occupations and students down at the Quad City Area Health Careers Expo could be some that will meet that demand.
The two-day event is sponsored by the Allied Health Sector Board and runs from 8:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. and 11:45 A.M. to 2:30 P.M on Thursday & Friday. It is located at the RiverCenter on 136 E. 3rd Street in Davenport.
