NORTH DAKOTA – Sanford Health is holding its second annual conference aimed at educating and encouraging grade school students in North Dakota to enter the healthcare profession.
The event will take place at the Bismarck Event Center on Oct. 14th.
DJ Campbell, Vice President and Chief HR Officer for Sanford Health’s Bismarck Market, says the healthcare industry still faces “significant workforce shortages” and is focused on growing talent organically.
“Part of that process is working in K-12 [schools] and getting people excited about what type of healthcare careers there might be,” Campbell told The Flag on Monday.
Listen: Sanford Health’s DJ Campbell on The Flag’s ‘What’s On Your Mind?’
When the COVID-19 pandemic started, Campbell says many students left the industry and chose not to enroll in higher education institutions that provide avenues to healthcare careers.
But Campbell says there’s been a bounce back since then.
“A lot of that is due to some of the work we’re doing in the K-12 [school] space where we’re offering job shadows or career exploration or different programming to get them excited about those careers,” said Campbell, who is hoping October’s event will draw as many as 600 students.
“I just think the impact we can make in the community to make sure it’s healthy, safe and has the resources they need so that we can provide great healthcare to rural North Dakota.”
Click here to find out more about how to register for the conference.
