Purpose
The Health Careers Education (HCE) program is based on the comprehensive needs assessment of vocational education programs in the state plan submitted under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998. The health careers program presents information to students early in their education program that will cause them to consider a career in health care; to integrate the health careers curriculum across the disciplines; and to design cumulative, articulated content across the levels of education.
Health careers education programs operate at the high school and adult levels to achieve the goals and purposes as follows:
- Implementation of standards-based curriculum
- Use of standards-based assessment systems
- Continuing integration and sequencing of core academics and health careers context
- Incorporation of instruction in all aspects of the industry
- Curriculum and program strategies reflecting workplace needs
- Instructional and support services responsive to the needs of students
- Expansion of program articulation efforts with postsecondary options
- Improvement of guidance services
- Use of technology
Program Goal
The goal of the health careers education program is to establish a rich, rigorous, integrated health careers path, kindergarten through employment, to serve students from every school in California. Establishing quality integrated programs that are accessible to all students will enable them to fulfill their individual career goals and will help meet the health care industry's human resource demands.
Benefits for Students
- Enables students to make career decisions consistent with their aptitudes, interests, abilities, and academic achievement.
- Provides a program of instruction that prepares students for postsecondary education and for employment.
- Enables more students to achieve higher levels of academic and career preparation.
- Provides added relevancy and meaning to the students' educational learning from kindergarten through career.
- Eliminates the need for remediation for students in the health careers program who wish to enter postsecondary education or employment.
Funding
Request For Applications (RFA) Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-10
Funding Results for FY 2009-10
Resources
Health Careers Resource Consortium (Outside Source)
A statewide resource center that supports health careers education
through technical assistance, professional development opportunities,
resource documents, career path marketing materials, and summer
Educator Internship Institutes. Resources for educators, students
and health care industry partners are available through the Health Careers Resource Consortium Web site.
California
Health Occupations Students of America (Cal-HOSA) (Outside Source)
A student organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities
in health care and to enhance the delivery of quality health care
to all people. Cal-HOSA provides a unique program of leadership
development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary,
postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in health
occupations education programs. Membership in HOSA is restricted
to health occupations students.
California
Career Pathways Consortia (CCPC) (Outside Source)
Five individual consortia/projects have been involved in Career
Technical Education and Tech Prep for a number of years: the Agriculture
Project at Modesto Jr. College; the Business Project at Allan
Hancock Community College District; the Health Services Project
at Kern High School District; Engineering Project at American
River College; and the Industrial and Technology Project at State
Center Consortium. The mission of the CCPC is to offer a variety
of services, products, and technical assistance to providers of
career opportunities and education.
National Consortium
on Health Science & Technology Education (NCHSTE) (Outside Source)
The National Consortium on Health Science and Technology Education
is a national partnership of individuals and organizations with
a vested interest in health science and technology education.
The mission of the Consortium is to shape and influence national policy on the preparation and employment of health care personnel. The purpose of the Consortium is to continue to contribute to effective and efficient delivery of health care and preparation of a qualified workforce through fostering collaboration among education agencies, the health care community, policy-making bodies, and labor.
Health
Care Foundation Standards (Outside Source)
The standards reflect the skills and knowledge,
both academic and technical, necessary to pursue a full range
of opportunities within the health careers cluster from entry
level to management, including technical and professional specialties.
Health Care Foundation Standards Assessment
A Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) is available at National
Consortium on Health Science and Technology Education (Outside Source).This
assessment will provide a certificate for students who pass both
academic and technical skills necessary to pursue a full range
of career opportunities within the health care cluster, including
technical and professional career specialties.
Contacts
The Health Careers Education Program is administered by:
Cindy Beck, Health Careers Education Programs Consultant
California Department of Education
Career and College Transition Division
Career
Technical Education Leadership and Instructional Support Office
1430 N Street, Suite 4503
Sacramento, CA 95814
