Get to Know Metro North
Metro North : Elk River Connecting with WIOA Partners to Address Challenges and Opportunities in the Healthcare Industry
Metro North ABE-Elk River is a member of the Local Workforce Development Area ( WDA ) # 5 and the Regional Workforce Development Area # 3 and aligns with Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services ( CMJTS ) whose central office is located at the Monticello Workforce Center . These two WDA ’ s cover a vast territory and include several Adult Basic Education programs and two different Workforce Centers and work together to promote the mission of WIOA .
One example of their shared vision and partnership is the Healthcare Sector Summit held on October 14th , 2016 ; planned and hosted by the Region 3 Leadership and Planning Board , Stearn-Benton Employment & Training Council and CMJTS , Inc . Workforce Development Board . This first in a three part series focused on gaps in the healthcare industry in hospitals , while future summits will focus on healthcare industry in nursing home and assisted living facilities and private sectors .
The Healthcare Summit began with Labor Market Information and Gap analysis presented by Luke Greiner , a Regional Analyst , DEED . Then representatives from CentraCare Health , Fairview Health Services , and Renville County Hospital and Clinics addressed a group of 150 participants about the shortage of healthcare employees and opportunities in the healthcare industry . Participants who represented a wide range of organizations and individuals that provide community support — healthcare providers , workforce development providers , education ( colleges , universities , technical colleges ), Adult Basic
Education , economic development professionals , community foundations , chief elected officials , and others discussed solutions on how to train and prepare individuals for employment in the central Minnesota health care sector .
Metro North : Anoka Building innovative partnerships to move learners forward in post-secondary pursuits
Metro North ABE is evolving in its partnerships with our college sites . With ABE campuses at Anoka Technical College and Anoka Ramsey Community College , Metro North is ideally situated to support adult learners who need Accuplacer brush up , TEAS ( Test of Essential Academic Skills ) preparation , and Developmental Education support .
Currently , Accuplacer prep is offered at both sites , but beginning at the end of January 2017 , Metro North is partnering more directly to develop and offer Accuplacer “ bootcamps ” designed as short ( 20 hour ) intensive courses to improve student skills , particularly in Arithmetic level and Algebra level mathematics . The college partner handles enrollment and partners with Metro North to schedule and to develop curriculum . We intend to offer Accuplacer bootcamps for each semester Fall , Spring , and Summer .
Metro North has also partnered with ARCC for the past two years offering supplemental instruction and co-teaching for the Developmental Ed English Language Learners program . ABE instructors partner with the ARCC instructors to develop curriculum , deliver instruction , and collaborate on student needs and achievement . College credits are offered for the coursework , which allows for an earlier college entry point for the students and reduces costs to the student . These students would otherwise have to pay for the courses to meet the necessary functional levels for some of their college coursework . Students can concurrently enroll in other college courses that apply toward graduation , so their timeline for acquiring their post-secondary credentials is enhanced .
Beginning in Fall 2017 , Metro North and ARCC will also be entering into an instructional partnership to support Developmental Ed Math . For the majority of the 2016-2017 school year , the two programs have been developing curriculum and a pilot instructional delivery model . With this variety of programming , we are building a more symbiotic relationship with our college partners that helps generate student interest and involvement with ABE but also better meets the needs of the “ edge ” learners pursuing a post-secondary program and degree .
6 METRO NORTH CONSORTIUM | vol . 5