GRAND FORKS – North Dakota has 4,300 health care jobs, according to the director of the Grand Forks Workforce Center.
Dustin Hillebrand, Grand Forks workforce center manager, said his office is responsible for coordinating workforce development programs in the state’s fourth region, including Grand Forks, Walsh, Nelson and Pembina counties. According to Hillebrand, there are 932 health care-related jobs in the region.
He said the number of jobs has been high for several years, but the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic worsened the shortages.
“Having multiple health care openings is not new to the post-pandemic workforce,” Hillebrand said. “We had a strong demand for healthcare professionals before COVID, and the pandemic only increased the need.”
Hillebrand attributes the growing number of jobs to a combination of resignations and retirements during the pandemic, as well as the continued growth of medical providers such as Altru and Sanford.
“As hospital groups grow, they need to fill positions,” Hillebrand said. “There are also nursing homes that need health care professionals. The North Dakota Department of Health has openings. People have left the profession during the pandemic, and many in the 65 and older demographic have retired. These positions must be replaced.”
Many of the openings — including licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants and surgical technicians — require professional training that can be completed in two years or less, according to Hillebrand.
A key component of the workforce center’s mission is to place students and adults returning to school at area colleges that offer training in these careers. This is accomplished through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), a federally funded program that provides tuition assistance for career training in occupations considered to be in high demand. According to Job Service North Dakota, the workforce center’s parent agency, all of the above nursing and technician careers are on the state’s list of in-demand occupations.
Hillebrand said local technical colleges and health care groups have a host of programs to choose from.
“Northland Community and Technical College has both surgical technician and radiology programs,” Hillebrand said. “If applicants qualify for the WIOA program, we can certainly help them with tuition. Unity Medical Center in Grafton is also working with Lake Region State College in Devil’s Lake to offer nursing internships.”
A virtual job fair is also planned. Hillebrand said those interested in attending the event, scheduled for Feb. 8, can register on the workforce center’s website.
Hillebrand’s office is also working with the Find the Good Life campaign, an initiative that encourages skilled professionals to move to North Dakota.
“They will promote our job fair to individuals who have contacted them and expressed interest in relocating here,” he said. “Participants who register for the job fair will have the opportunity to communicate with a variety of employers.”
