CCV/BMH Partnership Leads to Hospital Hires

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) have teamed up to provide a direct pathway to hospital jobs in environmental services. At a graduation ceremony today at BMH, certificates were awarded to nine participants in the new Environmental Services Training Program, eight of whom have been offered employment at the hospital.

The program was developed in response to a critical need for qualified staff, and is the result of a collaboration led by CCV and BMH that also includes the Department of Labor, the Vermont Association of Business Industry and Rehabilitation (VABIR), Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) and Creative Workforce Solutions. Bill Norwood, BMH’s vice president of human resources, says the hospital is proud to be part of this partnership. “Collaborating with local agencies and organizations in order to expand and empower our local workforce is a priority for us. We are pleased to be able to offer training opportunities that will allow people in the area to increase their skills, improve their job prospects, and become a part of a team that aims at career growth.”

The nine-week training included five weeks of paid onsite work experience at the hospital, and completers have been offered full-time, part-time, or per diem employment. A number of participants also earned CCV credits, an OSHA certification, the Governor’s Career Readiness Certificate, and training in infection control.

“We are very pleased to see these first students complete the training and move into good jobs as a result,” said CCV president Joyce Judy. “CCV plays a major role in supporting workforce development across Vermont, and we are especially proud of our strong partnership with Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. We have worked together to train employees in some of their highest need departments, and this has a powerful impact for students, for the hospital, and for the greater community.”

CCV and BMH have joined forces since 2014 to provide training for medical assistants. The College to Careers program allows students to earn their Clinical Medical Assistant certification in just fourteen weeks, with guaranteed employment at the hospital upon successful completion of the course. The program’s third student cohort will finish their training in December.