Providing a variety of academic and social support services

The program, Work Attributes Toward Careers in Health (WATCH), provides a variety of academic and social support services to people who wish to enter or move up in the nursing career pathway. Participants of the Watch Project must have a high school diploma or GED, meet income guidelines, and live in Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, or Union counties.

In this program, you can choose your own path! Careers on the Watch Project nursing career pathway include Direct Care Worker, Certified Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy Technician, Medical Front Office Administration Specialist, Electronic Health Records Specialist, Medical Billing Specialist, Emergency Medical Technician, Sterile Processing Technician, Licensed Practical Nurse, or a Registered Nurse.

The Watch Project works to not only certify students in various healthcare professions but also prepare them for employment. Each participant works 1-on-1 with a Career Coordinator who manages their case and assists with job seeking efforts. Career Coordinators also work with students to teach soft skills such as practicing mock interviews, scheduling peer support meetings, the facilitation of background checks, scheduling physical exams, and scheduling of three types of shadowing.

Shadowing allows for more insight into a chosen healthcare profession. Students in the program participate in occupational, interview, and educational shadowing. Occupational shadowing involves following a healthcare professional in a work setting to understand the day-to-day basics of a particular job. Interview shadowing is a meeting where students can ask detailed questions to learn more about a specific profession. This type of shadowing offers an opportunity to learn more about a job and insight as to how well the candidate would function and be successful in a particular position. Lastly, educational shadowing is where participants can tour the Central Susquehanna LPN Career Center, sit in on a class or lecture and ask questions about financial aid.

The Watch Project has recently implemented a two-generational (2Gen) approach. The 2Gen approach focuses on the family as a whole and not solely on the Watch Project participant. This approach helps in overcoming barriers that may hinder a participant from pursuing a career in healthcare. Barriers can include obtaining child care or applying for appropriate benefits. Exercising the 2Gen approach means whole families will experience the benefits and the elimination of unnecessary barriers. Karla, CSIU Workforce Outreach Specialist said, “The more we can benefit the family as a whole, the more success a Watch Project participant can have on their own.”

For more information, visit the WATCH Project on the web or Facebook.

Written by Briana Shervinskie, a CSIU Summer 2018 Communications Intern. She is from Sunbury and is a junior at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. She is a dual major in Public Relations and Organizational Communication with a minor in Public Speaking. Having completed the CSIU internship, she is also considering a minor in Journalism.