(WSJ) – Health systems are joining with local high schools to create employee pipelines; ‘You can’t sit and wait to see who shows up’

Human resources advisory firm Mercer projects a deficit of 100,000 healthcare workers by 2028, mostly among nursing assistants, while the aging population drives up demand.

Ballad is trying to create a local labor pool by working with five northeast Tennessee school districts to train teenagers. The first batch of 200 students will graduate in 2029 with their licensed practical nurse credentials and be eligible to work right away at Ballad, earning $23 an hour.

“Our intention is to employ them,” said Ballad Chief Executive Alan Levine. The program is also a steppingstone for students who want to pursue more advanced medical training, which Levine said Ballad would help pay for. (Read More)