Vermont Governor Promotes Health Care Careers

October 4, 2007 -- Montpelier, Vt. – Vermont Governor Jim Douglas today highlighted health care career opportunities available to Vermonters and declared October as Health Care Career Awareness Month in Vermont.

Governor Douglas said career opportunities in health care provide excellent job opportunities.

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“Vermont’s focus on comprehensive health care reform, coupled with our focus on being the nation’s first e-state and building a stronger, more innovative economy is helping to produce exciting new job opportunities in our health care sector,” Governor Douglas add. “And I want to encourage Vermonters to consider careers in this important, and expanding, sector of our economy.”

The Governor’s proclamation outlines issues affecting Vermont’s health care workforce. Among them, the state is facing the upcoming retirement of many experienced health care workers while the demand for health care continues to increase.

The declining supply of health care providers is creating demand and opportunities for numerous health care professionals, including: pharmacists, physicians, medical laboratory technicians, radiation technologists, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, social workers, nurses, dentists and many others.

The Governor thanked members of Vermont’s Health Care Workforce Partnership and Vermont’s Area Health Education Centers who will be visiting the state’s high schools throughout the year to provide information about career opportunities in Vermont’s health care industry.

Vermont’s Health Care Workforce Development Partnership comprised of Vermont health professionals and organizations are collaborating to develop long-term solutions to sustain Vermont’s health care workforce. The group is a sub-committee of Vermont’s Workforce Development Council.

“A career in health care offers well-paying job opportunities in a profession that’s vital to our economic security and our quality of life,” he said. “Providing opportunities to help prepare our future workers to fill these important jobs is necessary and it’s a top priority of my Administration to ensure we have an adequate workforce to care for Vermonters in the future. That’s why workforce training and scholarships have been key pieces of my Affordability Agenda and will continue to be priorities,” the Governor added.

Teachers, counselors and others interested in having a health care career presentation at their school should go to www.vthealthcareers.org to request a visit.

Source: Vermont Governor