Mayor Greg Fischer and Louisville health care leaders opened a new center to connect people with careers in health care this week.
The Kentucky Health Career Center, located at 746 S. Fifth St., will provide professional training and career advice for job-seekers, and talent search assistance for health care providers.
The center is a partnership between KentuckianaWorks and the Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Louisville.
Fischer said with Louisville's changing economy, it's important to prepare people for 21st century jobs that enable them to take care of their families.
"We need to make sure that we're giving our citizens the right education, the right training, the right career guidance and advice as well, so that we can fill these jobs that are growing in our city," he said.
There were more than 3,700 jobs posted in the Louisville area in the third quarter of 2015, including nearly 2,000 positions open for registered nurses — jobs that have a starting pay of about $50,000 a year, according to Fischer's office.
Jackie Beard, chair of the Health Careers Collaborative of Greater Louisville, said the goal of the center is to be a place where current or future employees in health care can learn about educational needs and potential career paths, and connect with educational resources and employers.
"When you think about what the employment areas are for individuals coming out of the career center, it's going to be hospitals, doctors' offices, medical centers, nursing homes. There's a wide variety of areas where people can find employment out of the health care industry," she said.
The city has a similar career center for manufacturing, which opened in 2013. The mayor's office has identified health care and advanced manufacturing as key sectors of Louisville's economy.
