Grant money is available for healthcare students in certain fields who are nearing graduation and will work after graduation in a rural area.
- "We can cover all of the cost, including tuition, books, and some supplies..." said Anthony Snyder, CEO of the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board.
- Students who start a class session between now and the summer can qualify for the money.
Students nearing graduation in certain health care fields could have their final semester of school paid for under a grant program meant to draw new graduates to jobs in rural areas.
"We can cover all of the cost, including tuition, books, and some supplies..." said Anthony Snyder, CEO of the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board.
The grant money is "...available for people who are in one of the 10 approved medical trainings, and who will agree to work in a rural community after graduation," Snyder said.
Students who start a class session between now and the summer can qualify for the money.
"Populations [in rural areas] are diminishing and those that are there are getting older, and we're actually in danger of not having enough medical professionals to serve the people who are left," Snyder said.
Levi Stenberg, a nursing student at Fox Valley Technical College, received the grant.
Stenberg said he would be thrilled "...to be able to play a part in alleviating the health care shortage, especially in these rural areas where there's a bigger need for health care workers."
Stenberg's job search leading up to graduation includes jobs in rural areas.
Counties in the NBC 26 viewing area that count as rural under the program are Green Lake, Marinette, Menominee (WI), Oconto, Waupaca, and Waushara counties, as well as the west side of Fond du Lac County.
"There's a huge need for healthcare workers, pretty much everywhere," Stenberg said.
"I don't think I've seen a single hospital that isn't hiring."
According to the Fox Valley Workforce Development Board, eligible health care programs include: "Associate degree in Nursing (ADN) Registered Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Home Health Care Aide, Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Medical Assistant, Medical & Clinical Lab Technician, Phlebotomist, Substance Abuse Counselor, Social & Human Services Assistant, and selected Telehealth training programs."
