Over the last 15 years, Garrett Regional Medical Center (GRMC) and the Western Maryland Consortium have partnered on many workforce initiatives in Garrett County.
Two Garrett County youth recently participated in the Western Maryland Consortium’s summer youth program – Brooklyn Bittinger and Skylar Lim – successfully completing their work experience at GRMC.
Brooklyn Bittinger
Skylar Lim
Bittinger worked with the Loar Auxilary Gift Shop and volunteer services within the hospital. Lim was assigned to work with the materials management department at GRMC.
Youth between the ages of 14-24 are eligible to participate in the student work experience program. Students are placed in a job for 6-8 weeks with the summer youth program or 8-12 weeks for the work experience program. Students are provided with opportunities to gain new skills and work experience.
“The goal of the program is for the youth to find a set of skills to use once they have completed high school and/or provide them with a direction in which they want to take their career,” stated Rebecca Williams, business service representative at the Western Maryland Consortium. “Work experiences really give the youth a hands-on opportunity to explore and/or discover what they really want to do.”
Students are typically placed at offsite locations in which they may potentially consider as a career after school.
Williams explained that the Western Maryland Consortium pays the wages and workers’ compensation directly to the youth throughout the duration of either program.
“After the program is complete, the employer has the opportunity to hire if the students have met their expectations but are not required to do so,” said Williams. “Additionally, the program presents an opportunity for the employer to do a hands-on interview with a potential hire at no cost to them.”
The summer youth program continues to be vital to both community partners.
“We really enjoy partnering with GRMC – we work with a great group of staff that are dedicated in assisting their employees in starting and advancing their careers at GRMC,” remarked Williams. “We are incredibly appreciative of the partnership we have and look forward to working with GRMC in years to come.”
At GRMC, students are provided with a first-hand opportunity to discover and explore careers in the ever-evolving healthcare industry.
“The summer youth program affords high school students the ability to advance their work experience and introduces them to career opportunities in the healthcare industry at GRMC,” stated Laura Waters, vice president of human resources at GRMC.
Waters continued, “Our goal is to provide a valuable experience that enhances the students’ knowledge base and skillset while instilling positive work ethic attributes that students can embody as they are introduced to the workforce.”
Throughout the years, GRMC has utilized additional services through the Western Maryland Consortium, including on-the-job training, the work experience program, and, most recently, the incumbent worker training program.
“We have connected with the Western Maryland Consortium to identify qualified candidates for the incumbent worker training program,” Waters said. “This program provides financial assistance to businesses to increase the skill level of employees through advanced education or training programs.”
To deliver additional training and certifications to employees, the Western Maryland Consortium partners with Garrett College.
“The incumbent worker program is for employees who have been with the company for greater than six months and are looking to upscale their current job skills,” Williams stated. “This allows business like GRMC to assist their employees in obtaining different certifications and trainings at very little cost to the employer.”
“It has been a pleasure working with the Western Maryland Consortium over the years,” added Waters. “Our partnership has provided invaluable opportunities to our organization in supporting our existing workforce and planning for future needs.”
For more information on Garrett Regional Medical Center, visit https://www.grmc-wvumedicine.org. To learn more about the Western Maryland Consortium and available services, visit https://westernmarylandconsortium.org.
