The impact of the growing healthcare field on the schools who train students for the careers, and one hospital trying to keep up with the demand.
Some financial experts are saying jobs in healthcare are "recession proof," and success stories from a local college are adding to their case. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, healthcare provides 14 million jobs, and seven of the top twenty fastest growing occupations are related to healthcare. Experts say the medical field could generate three million new jobs by 2016, more than any other industry.
"The forecast is that employment in nursing and other healthcare areas, but specifically nursing, they are expected to continue to grow well in the next decade or two," said Anne Barton-Dempsey, Director of Nursing Programs at Northwestern Michigan College.
That's good news for incoming nursing students. In a tough economy, Barton-Dempsey has seen students take comfort in knowing they'll have a good chance at getting a job after graduation.
"They have watched the media, they have read the news, they've looked around at websites looking for jobs," said Barton-Dempsey. "They realize they will have a high probability of gaining a great spot in employment with benefits and good pay."
The high success rate means a lot of people want to be in that in-demand career, whether they are straight out of high school or looking for a new opportunity. That's led to a wait list at NMC and across the state.
"There's approximately a two semester wait at the current time, and that is one of the lowest wait lists in the state of Michigan actually," said Barton-Dempsey.
Other schools have a wait of up to five years, according to Barton-Dempsey. The popular program at NMC could become even more so as people learn of the success of recent graduates.
"Seventy-five percent or a little more of our December grads were given jobs at Munson Hospital in acute care," said Barton-Dempsey.
A Munson spokesperson said they are often looking for qualified candidates. Eighty percent of positions require some sort of special certification.
"Munson continues to grow to meet the region's healthcare need, and with that growth we do require new clinical positions," said Barb Gordon-Kessel, a Munson spokesperson. "So typically we do have open positions."
Just like Barton-Dempsey, Gordon-Kessel said that should be the case for years to come.
"Healthcare is a growing field," said Gordon-Kessel. "The population is aging particularly here in Northern Michigan where we have so many retirees."
