HPOG Promising Practice: Rogue Community College - Employment Strategies

Publication Date: February 5, 2021
Current as of:

Grants Pass, Or

Rogue Community College brings healthcare employers directly to HPOG students.

The Southern Oregon Health Occupations Poverty Elimination project (SOHOPE) at Rogue Community College (RCC) opens the door to careers in healthcare for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and low-income individuals in rural Oregon. The program’s success is evident in the large number of SOHOPE students fulfilling course hours needed for medical assistant (CMA) and phlebotomy certifications. RCC created a way to connect employers with these job-ready students.

RCC and SOHOPE started holding job fairs in May 2019 for SOHOPE students nearing the end of healthcare training. SOHOPE job fairs bring students and local healthcare together. Each job fair begins with a panel of healthcare experts and employers answering questions written by SOHOPE staff and students. After the panel, each healthcare employer has a booth where students can submit their resumes. SOHOPE participants learn the expectations employers have for healthcare employees, how applicants can be more successful in interviews, and real-world experiences employers have had that inform workplace policies and procedures.

The first job fair brought twenty local employers and sixty-five students. Twenty SOHOPE students interviewed with employers they otherwise would not have met. Out of these 20 students, nine found employment because of the job fair. Employers reported how impressed they were with HPOG participants, especially their willingness to ask questions and hear feedback.

The Rogue Community College SOHOPE job fair helps prepare students for the skills required to meet the industry demands and fill viable jobs in our community.

This Promising Practice was self-identified by the grantee and information contained in this document was provided by the grantee.

HPOG Promising Practice: Rogue Community College (PDF)