On Wednesday, March 25, the juniors of Mount Vernon High School participated in the Knox County Healthcare Expo, allowing them a taste of the many opportunities within the healthcare industry.
The Knox County Healthcare Expo is held at multiple high schools throughout the year, and it is meant as a way for students to get an early understanding of the many different jobs the healthcare industry needs.
“We are trying to fill the gap [in jobs] with creative solutions,” stated Julia Suggs, Vice President of the Area Development Foundations.
Although many associate the healthcare industry with nursing or doctors, the course is meant to enlighten students to the numerous different jobs available, many of which can be sought right after high school.
“The jobs that are actually the most in demand in healthcare right now are housekeeping, maintenance, some of the tech positions—so phlebotomy, radiology,” claimed Suggs.
Students spent part of the day going to different stations with a large variety of speakers who taught them the different jobs they can get into and the certifications they need.
“My favorite station was definitely the one in the theater where we learned about how you could gain certification to become part of emergency response so early out of high school,” stated Junior Archie Meyer.
Overall, the program offers a simple introduction to the diverse job opportunities available to fresh graduates while also being early enough in the students’ high school careers to give them time to prepare.
“I think it was a great program, as it was really engaging, and learning about opportunities that we could participate in much sooner than I would have thought was great,” claimed Meyer.
