Advocate Aurora Health partners with Employ Milwaukee to Promote Health Care Careers for Underrepresented Populations

CHHSM member Advocate Aurora Health, based in Downers Grove, Ill., and Milwaukee, Wis., is partnering with Employ Milwaukee, the workforce development board serving Milwaukee County, to create the Milwaukee Healthcare Workforce Initiative (MHWI), a program to increase underrepresented populations’ access to quality health care careers through training and guaranteed job interviews.

The MHWI is now accepting registrations for the no-cost training that includes job shadowing, an introduction to hospital operations, and an overview of healthcare career paths and job application success. Individuals who complete the program are guaranteed job interviews at Advocate Aurora Health.

“Advocate Aurora’s greatest asset is our team members, whose diverse backgrounds, cultures and experiences reflect the communities we are privileged to serve,” said Dayla Randolph, system vice president, Advocate Aurora Health. “Increasing the pool of diverse, qualified job candidates is critical to the future of Milwaukee’s healthcare industry and to the wellbeing of our residents.”  

Developed with Advocate Aurora Health, the MHWI is a three-year project funded by a $500,000 grant from the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment.

“In today’s climate, the need for increased numbers of trained healthcare workers is significant,” said Chytania Brown, Employ Milwaukee president and CEO. “At the same time, unemployment remains too high for people of color in Milwaukee. We’re excited to bring this solution-oriented program to the table.”

The program will offer customized curriculums that address both job seekers’ and employers’ needs, and will cover direct health care roles as well as opportunities in administration, environmental services and food services departments.

“The pandemic continues to have a severe impact on people living in zip codes of underinvestment,” Dr. Greer Jordan, chief diversity and inclusion officer at the Medical College of Wisconsin, said. “Working to diversify our regional talent pools promotes an adaptive response to the rapidly evolving workforce and environment of healthcare.”

Additional partners include Social Development Commission, JobsWork MKE, Greater Milwaukee Urban League, RiverWorks Development Corp. and Journey House. Each organization will assist with candidate recruitment efforts.

Potential participants are encouraged to reach out to Employ Milwaukee for more details.