A Message to Our Stakeholders
The success of the Education Fund and our learners is built on relationships, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work with – and for – you over the past year. You play a critical role in our learners’ achievements and their ability to advance their careers and fill vital roles in our industry. Our passion to empower our diverse healthcare workforce to advance through innovative education and training solutions remains strong.
In 2020, we faced many extreme challenges, and the world of healthcare and education evolved very quickly. The Education Fund team rose to meet these challenges while always considering our learners, employers, and union partners. We added new programs and strategic education partners. We revamped our internal staff and operations to strengthen our ability to meet the urgent needs of those on the frontlines of healthcare.
Now, in 2021, the Education Fund is stronger than ever. We intend to further build on the organizational successes of 2020, which included:
- First, we are excited to have served more than 17,500 unique learners who totaled more than 100,000 enrollments in various educational services and programs. We continue to grow, year-over-year, and this was our best year yet!
- We introduced our Laptop Lending program, which provides a Chromebook at no cost to learners actively enrolled in one of our education programs.
- We launched a series of online learning courses to meet our healthcare workforce’s ever-changing needs, including self-care and stress management topics, which became more essential than ever in 2020.
- We continued to offer up to $1,500 in reimbursement annually for costs incurred for continuing education units, certifications, licenses, and renewals.
- We expanded our online offerings to provide accelerated general education courses and degree completion.
- We launched the Learner Support Program in California and Nevada designed to help learners impacted by COVID-19.
- As part of our strategic plan to build fully supported career paths, we launched scaled Medical Assistant and Sterile Processing Training across California.
- In the Northwest, we supported cohorts in Patient Access Specialist Training and a one-of-a-kind, small engine repair cohort for landscapers at Kaiser Permanente.
- We partnered with Kaiser Permanente Colorado to provide training that included Leadership Development and Message and Stress Management.
- Our nonprofit organization, the Shirley Ware Education Center, secured over $2M in grant funds, allowing the Education Fund to expand our existing services and programs.
Given all we have faced, we persevered as a team and became more agile, more creative, and, most importantly, more resilient. As we continue in 2021, we know there is more work to be done. We remain poised and enthusiastic about the road ahead, and we know that none of this is possible without your support. We are proud to be on this journey with you, and we look forward to a successful partnership in 2021!
In partnership,
Rebecca Hanson
Executive Director