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Proposed White Plains Healthcare Training Academy Attracts Praise

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A proposal to open a regional healthcare training academy at 1133 Westchester Ave. drew positive reactions from business leaders and public officials this week.

Tim Hall, president of Mercy College, called the new healthcare academy "an amazing collaboration in which everyone benefits.”

Tim Hall, president of Mercy College, called the new healthcare academy "an amazing collaboration in which everyone benefits.”

Photo Credit: Jon Craig
Marissa Brett, right, president of the Westchester County Association, preps for Tuesday's news conference with various college and healthcare leaders.

Marissa Brett, right, president of the Westchester County Association, preps for Tuesday's news conference with various college and healthcare leaders.

Photo Credit: Jon Craig

Announced by the Westchester County Association at a Tuesday press conference, the academy will offer a pilot course in data analytics starting Feb. 24.

U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-Harrison, called plans for a Hudson Valley Workforce Academy "an exciting initiative that will help raise the skill level of our workforce and fill the many positions in our region that remain vacant, particularly in the life sciences sector.  I congratulate the WCA on this new program and their ongoing leadership role in bringing together the health care, business and academic sectors."

County Executive, Rob Astorino said, “The county’s healthcare sector, which the WCA has championed, needs talented and skilled workers to continue its growth.  . . . Going forward I look forward to working with the WCA to connect residents and businesses to these new resources that will strengthen Westchester's economy."   Jeffrey Menkes, senior vice president of system network development at Montefiore Medical Center, said,  “The WCA truly recognized the need that all healthcare providers -- and employers in general -- are facing in keeping their workforce trained in the skills needed in today’s workplace."   As the largest healthcare employer in the region, Tony Mahler, senior vice president of strategic planning at Westchester Medical Center, said, "We have a vested interest in ensuring that our workforce has the skills required to get the job done, today and well into the future."   Mercy College President Tim Hall added: “We thank the WCA for convening the stakeholders to dialogue about the training needs that employers are facing. It opens up new doors of opportunity for us."

Judith Huntington, president of The College of New Rochelle, said, "This process enables us to graduate well-prepared healthcare employees ready to meet the demand in today’s changing workforce."

And Marissa Brett, president of the Westchester County Association, said, "Because of our long history of collaboration with all the stakeholders, we were in a singular position to help."

In this region, there are more than 2,500 vacant, skilled jobs in health care, technology and business. 

It is the WCA Hudson Valley Healthcare Consortium's aim to help the region attract and retain talent, upgrade the skills of the currently employed and foster job creation for the unemployed and underemployed, according to WCA Chairman William P. Harrington.

For more details, go to www.westchester.org

 

 

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