Jefferson State and partners are providing workforce training alongside high-quality childcare in a new facility in downtown Birmingham.
A dedication ceremony was held Thursday, Oct. 6, at the facility off 22nd Street South in Southside Birmingham.
Training at the center will focus on entry-level roles at St. Vincent’s Health System, while childcare is provided on-site by Childcare Resources. This “2Gen” approach benefits the whole family, and is one that the college has partnered with The Women’s Foundation of Alabama on for several years.
This initiative builds upon the existing Jeremiah’s Hope partnership, which in 2020 became a Jefferson State training program. In 2020, there were more than 40 enrollments through this Jeremiah’s Hope pipeline in programs like Administrative Medical Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, Sterile Processing Technician, and Phlebotomy. St. Vincent’s also partners closely with the college on work-based learning through clinical externships for education programs, ensuring that students receive valuable experiences before entering the workforce.
“The downtown project will truly help us build upon the workforce initiatives that we have already started with St. Vincent’s and allow us to serve the community in downtown Birmingham,” said Leah Bigbee, Director of Jefferson State’s Center for Workforce Education. “The first training class downtown is underway with 11 students in a Patient Care Technician class. Students will do clinicals with Ascension St. Vincent’s and interview for Patient Care Tech roles at the completion of the class. The collaboration will enable us to serve this need for both our community and the healthcare sector.”
