CINCINNATI — While the coronavirus pandemic has been a long, tedious drain on health care systems' resources, it might also yield a boon in future health care professionals.
Educators across the Tri-State said more high school and post-secondary students are seeking training in the health care field, citing COVID-19 as a primary motivation for pursuing the career path.
"We see firsthand the need for additional workforce within health care," said Lauren Logan, head of career learning at Ohio Virtual Academy. "Seeing the necessity of these essential workers and the lack of them...it's showing these students the need for the skill-set they're pursuing."
But Janelle McCord, dean of public health and safety at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College said the need is so great that, even with the recent influx in enrollments in health care programs, her college still can't matriculate new professionals fast enough to fill the current job openings.
"Our classes are full. We have a lot of inquiries and a lot of interest in health," McCord said. "But now we can't even meet the demand in some fields. They need more people that we're able to produce."
