Waubonsee hosts Health Care Education Information Open House
On Nov. 3, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its report on labor statistics for the month of October 2017. The report shows that health care jobs are in great demand. Jobs in health care increased by 22,000 in October with the average increase for this year being 24,000 jobs per month.
The next day, these strong employment numbers were matched by a strong interest in health care careers at an open house at Waubonsee's Aurora Fox Valley Campus.
Waubonsee hosted the event on Nov. 4 on its campus which houses the majority of the college's health care programs. The open house had been scheduled for several months and was not tied to the release of the report from the BLS.
Susan DeSalvo came to the open house to get information about health care education and career options. She left the event with a plan and as a registered student in Waubonsee's Surgical Technology Program.
DeSalvo had worked at the General Mills facility in West Chicago for many years until last November, shortly before the plant closed in early 2017. That change in circumstances led her to explore other career options.
"Since leaving (General Mills) I've been working for a company that provides medical supplies and equipment and I've been thinking about getting more into that work," said DeSalvo.
The fact that she could be directly involved in helping patients interested her in the program and the career.
Vicente Olaquez, a high school junior, came to the open house to learn more about Waubonsee's Nursing Program.
"I've always been interested in nursing and helping people. Nursing seems like it would be an interesting life," he said.
Olaquez spent time talking to nursing faculty members and current students to learn more about the program and a career in nursing. One of the students he spoke with was Courtney Rambow.
Rambow, a second-year nursing student from Yorkville, has already graduated from Waubonsee once. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Loyola University. Even with her undergraduate degree complete, she decided to re-enroll at Waubonsee for a different career path.
"I wanted to go to medical school, but the entry requirements changed and did not work well with my degree, so I decided to return home and study nursing," she said.
Rambow is now the treasurer of the Waubonsee Student Nurses Association and an ambassador for Waubonsee's Nursing Program. She made it clear to the guests at the open house that Waubonsee is very much worth considering.
"Coming here was a great decision for me. The faculty and the program are wonderful," she added.
People interested in learning more about Waubonsee's health care programs, as well as other career and transfer programs, can visit www.waubonsee.edu to learn more.