CR Community Education Opens Doors to Healthcare Jobs
The College of the Redwoods Community Education Department (CE) is pleased to announce two classes in their expanding healthcare class portfolio which have become annual staples. The very popular Pharmacy Technician class and the ICD-10 Medical Billing & Coding class now have a permanent place on CE’s annual calendar and are slated to begin this spring. This is great news for students looking for entry-level jobs in a growing career field and also timely news for local healthcare organizations eager to find trainees.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment Statistics Program (www.onetonline.org) in a May 2014 survey, the local employment ratio of healthcare support occupations for our region is 27 per 1000 jobs with continued growth predicted into 2024. “It works for everyone when the market is looking for more workers. Employers call us asking when the next class will finish up, and students call looking for when the next class starts—that is an important win for everyone” said Julia Peterson, CR Business Training Center Director. “Plus, in a rare event for our local area, BLS data suggests even higher median wages for our Humboldt region at $18.41 for a Pharmacy Technician—so a good opportunity for sustainable wages locally.”
The BLS also shows projected job growth in our community for these positions to be greater than the national average. Our county also offers a higher hourly rate than the national median wage for Medical Billing positions, at $16.33 an hour.
For Humboldt adults wanting to take those first steps towards making a change—the 80-hour ICD-10 Medical Billing and Coding class begins April 26th and runs Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. through July 19, 2016 with the class being held at a CR classroom on the Eureka High Campus.
The 50-hour Pharmacy Tech class makes its annual appearance beginning May 10, 2016 and runs through June 28th. This class is also on a Tuesday and Thursday schedule from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Downtown Eureka Community Education Site at 525 D Street. The Pharmacy Tech informational meeting will be held April 19th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Downtown Eureka Community Education site.
For additional class information or to register for classes call Community Education at 707.476.4500 or visit http://www.redwoods.edu/communityed/Current-Classes/Health-Care for more information.
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