William Penn, Del Tech launch pathway to expand nursing pipeline

A newly-funded career pathway partnership between a state college and a high school aims to tackle the national nursing shortage while giving students college credits to advance into a career in health care.

Delaware Technical Community College and William Penn High School in the Colonial School District announced Monday the launch of the Patient Care Technician/Nursing Pathway Program.

The partnership gives up to 15 sophomores at William Penn the opportunity to earn college credits before they receive their high school diploma. 

“We have 15 current sophomores, going to be juniors next year, who will be traveling to Del Tech campus every other day for half of their school day,” said Jordan Hudson, who’s a teacher for the Allied Health program at William Penn.

Allied Health is a major designed to be a springboard for students to develop the skills and behaviors necessary to enhance their knowledge and practice of general health and wellness. 

With a focus on Health Care Technician, students explore and prepare for several medical professions.

The partnership with Del Tech bolsters that program. 

“They will be taking about 12 college credits between junior and senior year and they will be able to earn certifications in CNA [certified nursing assistant], patient care technician, as well as the current phlebotomy and EKG [electrocardiogram] certifications that are programs here on campus that William Penn already offers.”

The selected students will earn those workforce credentials that will allow them to start jobs in the health care industry while they are completing their college degrees. 

Del Tech was one of two state winners of Bank of America’s 2023 Neighborhood Builders award, which includes grant funding of $200,000 over two years, as well as workforce development leadership training.

That grant enabled this pathway program. 

Del Tech has a similar partnership with two schools in the Red Clay Consolidated School District.

The handful of students will start the pathway their junior years and finish once they graduate, according to Mark Brainard, Del Tech president. 

“It’s really a win win win for them,” he said. “They graduate with a high school diploma, they graduate with a certification in a high-demand career area. They graduate with advanced college credits so they can return to college, when they decide it’s good for them and they also have that certification that will allow them to get a job.”

The partnership checks a lot of boxes for health care hopefuls, Brainard said, and it exposes them not only to college after high school, but also a career.

Hudson pointed out that only Allied Health students are eligible, and they have to apply. 

“So these are the best and the brightest of our Allied Health students that are going to be able to take advantage of this opportunity,” she said. 

Brainard is hopeful that this partnership will springboard others.

He said the leadership from Bank of America said in the launch ceremony Monday that they are looking at programs like this one because once it demonstrates how impactful it can be, the bank wants to apply more resources and make additional investments in these types of pathways. 

Del Tech is constantly seeking to tap into the young talent and develop students from Delaware schools. 

“We’re always looking for partners in the K to 12 system who are willing to implement creative ideas like this that will help expand the workforce pipeline not just in Allied Health, but in areas such as construction, advanced manufacturing and others,” Brainard said.

Chip Rossi, president of Bank of America Delaware, said Monday that the partnership between Delaware Tech and William Penn addresses significant needs throughout Delaware.

“We’re hoping to address the health care turnover, we’ve had a lot of turnover, especially after COVID,” Hudson said, “so earning the patient care technician certifications will allow those students to enter the workforce right away.”