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New Education Partnership to Address Nursing Shortage
Friday, June 05, 2009
Between restricting schedules and prohibitive costs, working nurses face many roadblocks to continuing their education. A new partnership between Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance (TBWA), the National Education Alliance, University Community Hospital (UCH) and Rue Education will give area nurses the help they need to advance within their profession.
The first collaboration of its kind in Florida, this partnership allows career licensed practical nurses working at UCH to enroll in an educational program to become registered nurses at little or no cost to them. Distance-learning and online classes will give them the flexibility they need to complete this program within two years while working full-time. This will allow them to advance their careers while continuing to earn full-time wages. Fourteen UCH nurses have already enrolled in the program.
Through its Competitive Edge Award program, TBWA will contribute training assistance that will be combined with funding from the National Education Alliance, which will be matched by Rue Education. This partnership was established with the goal of creating more healthcare providers within the Tampa Bay community.
"We saw an opportunity for collaboration to quickly infuse needed nurses in the community, and this partnership with University Community Hospital, the National Education Alliance and Rue Education will serve the community well," said Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance President and CEO Renee Gilmore.
"The foresight and innovation shown by Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance has brought an educational program to the Tampa Bay area that will be an example to the rest of the state of how collaborative relationships can resolve problems, like nursing shortages, that all communities face," says Josh Williams, SVP of Community Relations for the National Education Alliance.
About Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance
Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance works with businesses and candidates to leverage their training, retraining and competitive opportunities in the workforce. With nearly 100,000 job candidates annually accessing its four career centers, TBWA is the single largest source of job candidates in the region. Businesses annually access TBWA's wide range of services that include employee recruiting; training; targeted career fairs and hiring events; workshops and business seminars; and retention support strategies. Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance is a member of the Employ Florida statewide network of workforce services and resources.
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Tampa Bay WorkForce Alliance is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities TDD/TTY 813-930-7699.