Grant Supports Nursing Jobs in Michigan
Many cities and states across America are facing a serious shortage of healthcare workers, particularly nurses. Michigan is no exception, and a recent dose of funding by the state should begin to create more healthcare jobs in Michigan.
The State of Michigan recently announced it’s investing $6.5 million into the Michigan Nursing Corps, which will help expand nursing education and meet the growing demand for medical care providers by providing Michigan citizens with well-paying jobs.
“Michigan needs more nurses to meet our immediate and developing health care needs,” Governor Jennifer M. Granholm said in a State of Michigan article. “And we need a thriving health care sector that provides our citizens with good-paying jobs. Our Michigan Nursing Corps is making sure we achieve both of these important goals.”
The Michigan Nursing Corp was created to help rapidly produce nursing educators so schools can admit more nursing students and reduce waiting periods. In 2007, 4,400 people were turned away from Michigan nursing programs because of a lack of space.
“So each of these strategies will help move nurses into the workforce quicker,” Granholm added in the article. “It’s all a part of our No Worker Left Behind initiative that is training workers for jobs that exist in the 21st century economy.
The funding is expected to help such institutions as: Saginaw Valley State, Oakland, Wayne State, Northern Michigan and Detroit Mercy Universities and Oakland Community College.
Many hospitals in Michigan are currently hiring Canadian nurses because they can’t find enough qualified workers in Michigan. By 2010 it is expected the state will lack 7,000 registered nurses, and that number is projected to increase to 18,000 by 2015. It is estimated the funding will result in 42,000 more nursing jobs throughout the next five years.
According to the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan employed 606,100 people in the education and health services industry in July 2008, an increase of 1.8 percent from last year.