You hear a lot in education these days about students being
college and career ready. The Vocational
Intervention Project at Stormont-Vail HealthCare has been helping prepare
students for careers for the past 20 years.
More than 700 students have gone through the program during that time.
The Vocational Intervention Project is a partnership between
Stormont-Vail, Heartland Works and Topeka Public Schools. The project introduces high school students
to the health care industry by letting them work in the various departments
within the hospital. Some of the student
who go through the program are now employed by Stormont-Vail.
Terriana spent two years in the hospital dietary department. She says the experience helped her gain
skills for work and helped her get a job.
Another student, Rakim, says he was shy and that the program brought him
out of his shell and got him into the medical field. He now attends Washburn University and is
studying radiology, the same area he worked in at Stormont-Vail.
There are currently 18 students in the Vocational Intervention
Project.