For Futuro Health graduate Jamal L., having the support of an assigned Navigator to coach and mentor him through his Health IT Specialist program made all the difference in his pathway to completion.
“Futuro Health has a program where a mentor can come check on you. The mentor I had during my Futuro Health program was awesome,” he said. “Having a mentor, having a coach is key. Being around a community, a team, or a group can help you get to where you want to go faster, with a lot less bumps in the road.”
Futuro Health’s unique student support services experienced by Jamal will now be made available, tuition-free. Futuro Health is providing 1,000 scholarships for job seekers to take the Google Career Certificates, which prepare people for the in-demand fields of Data Analytics, IT Support, Project Management, and User Experience Design. Futuro Health is also bundling the programs into additional training paths that prepare workers for roles in Healthcare Data Analytics, Healthcare Project Management, and Health IT.
“We are thrilled Futuro Health is offering scholarships for workers to complete the Google Career Certificates,” said Bronagh Friel, Workforce Development Lead, Grow with Google. “By combining the program with healthcare coursework, they will create additional pathways for students to enter in-demand fields and increase their economic potential.”
The Google Career Certificates are available online through Coursera, and do not require a degree or experience to enroll. On average, they take three to six months to complete. In addition to adding healthcare coursework, Futuro Health further compliments the Google Career Certificates program by providing an instructor-of-record to support student learning, a practice especially important for the needs of students from nontraditional backgrounds.
To support online learning, Futuro Health will apply an engagement strategy using data science to ensure students who would not otherwise enjoy the virtual learning have a higher likelihood of completing. Students selected attend tuition-free, though pay some minimal fees. They will be supported by Futuro Health Navigators who assist students from enrollment to graduation.
Upon completing, students gain access to Futuro Health’s new Job Search Marketplace, which connects graduates with job opportunities. Graduates of the Google Career Certificate program also gain access to its employer consortium of over 130 companies, including Google, that consider graduates for entry-level roles in the certificate fields.
“Futuro Health is committed to supporting students in their educational journey,” said Futuro Health CEO Van Ton-Quinlivan. “This partnership with Google allows us to expand our program offerings and employment connection services, helping us fulfill our mission of growing the largest network of certified allied health workers in the nation – always with attention to diversity, equity and inclusion.”
The Healthcare Data Analytics program reflects the growing influence of data in the delivery of care and equips students with a professional certificate recognized by Google. Students learn in-demand data analytics skills using spreadsheets, SQL, Tableau, R, and more. Meanwhile, the Healthcare Project Management program, also embedding a certificate developed by Google, trains students in the high-growth field of project management, with an emphasis on improving patient care, reducing costs, and bettering the patient’s overall experience and satisfaction. The new programs are being offered through Coursera, an online learning platform.
“There’s a perception that careers in healthcare require workers to be medically skilled,” said Matt Williams, Lead Faculty at Futuro Health and former Director of Data, Reporting and Analytics at Sutter Health. “But there are plenty of in-demand data, administrative, and human resources jobs that need qualified people. These new programs help students enter high-paying roles in healthcare that cater to skills outside of the clinical setting.”
Applications for both programs are now being accepted. Interested adults can apply online at www.futurohealth.org.
