Event planned to connect youth to careers

Do you know who’s going to need a career to make a living someday? High school kids. And do you know who could use some employees? The local hospital. Put two and two together, and you’ve got Coulee Career Connection.

The local hospital has jobs to fill, and local high school students could eventually be the perfect fit. 

Lake Roosevelt High School students will be attending an event called Coulee Career Connection on Oct. 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school gym where they can learn about different careers in the medical field and the education and certification that may be required for those careers.

Coulee Medical Center employees will be at the event to speak with the kids, as will representatives from Big Bend Community College and Wenatchee Valley Community College.

Cari Horning is a  “Career Connectected Learning Specialist” with North Central Educational Service District 171. After speaking at a Grand Coulee Dam Rotary Club meeting earlier this year, she was asked by CMC Chief Executive Officer Ramona Hicks to speak with other CMC employees.

In doing so, hospital needs were identified, and the Coulee Career Connections event was orchestrated.

“The hope is to expose potential interest within the medical field,” said Susan Duclos, a Lake Roosevelt employee helping bring the event together.  “They will have fun activities (stitch up a banana, look into an ear), and earn monopoly type money to purchase fun prizes.”

There will be stations at the event set up for careers related to being a medical provider, registered nurse, certified nurse’s aide, registered medical assistant and careers in behavioral health and patient access.

Volunteers are being sought for the event, with about four volunteers needed to help set everything up at 7 a.m. before the event, two needed during the event, and four to help take things down after the event at 1 p.m.

Those interested in volunteering can contact Duclos at the high school at 509-633-1442.