Bullock tours Northern nursing facilities

For the second time in a week, Gov. Steve Bullock came to the Hi-Line, touring Montana State University-Northern's nursing facilities Thursday and engaging in a discussion about the school's programs to train students for jobs in the health care industry.

The visit, which was about an hour long, marked the final stop of Bullock's annual weeklong "College and Career Readiness" back-to-school tour that consisted of nine stops made across the state, seven by Bullock and two by Lt. Gov Angela McLean, according to Mike Wessler, deputy communications director for the governor.

Earlier in the week Bullock visited Rocky Boy High School, where he announced a new grant program available to students on the reservation intended to bolster college and career readiness.

Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel, William Rugg, the college's provost, Dave Henry, CEO of Northern Montana Health Care, and Paul Tuss, executive director of Bear Paw Development Corp., were among those present.

Citing the annual labor report, a compilation of statistics and observations released by the state, Bullock said at present the state's unemployment rate is low and labor participation is at record highs. But about a decade down the road, he said, Montana will be seeing some 130,000 retirements and only 126,000 Montanans age 16 to 24 entering the labor force while 6,400 new jobs will be created, which will leave a large number of open jobs in one of the country's least-populated states.

"It's really crucial, from my perspective, that we are doing everything we can so by the time they are leaving high school to either be matriculating here to Northern and other places, and getting some of those college credits while there, or getting their certificate or things they need from the high school side to be college or career ready," said Bullock.

Bullock cited Columbia Falls High School, which he visited earlier in the day, as an example, where students are taking dual enrollment courses at Flathead Valley Community College. As a result, by the time those students graduate high school, they already have between eight and 21 college credits.

Kegel said that in his conversations with employers the gap between those skills most in demand by the labor market and the shortage of qualified applicants is already a reality.

"We've got unfilled jobs right now or we're filling jobs with people who are obviously not qualified," said Kegel.

Northern Health Care Initiative which will be funded through a federal grant to the state from the U.S Labor Department will bring new allied health programs to Northern. Through the $638,000 in grant money Northern is set to receive over the next three years, programs in five areas will be created. They include a certificate program in CPR and emergency medical response as well as degree programs in emergency medical services, laboratory sciences, medical billing and coding, and health care technology.

Degrees offered through those programs will range from associates of arts and Sciences and bachelor of science degrees in all four areas. Master of science degrees will be offered under the medical billing aand coding program and health care informatics technology programs.

Those associated with overseeing the implementation of the grant and creation of the programs said courses in all these programs will implemented between January 2016 and the fall of 2017.

Following the discussion and a question-and-answer session, the governor toured the Simulation Lab in the college's Cowan Hall, where nurses are trained in a variety of medical procedures, before briefly introducing himself to several of the nursing program employees.

The college is looking to transfer the simulation lab into the Hagener Science Center, thereby folding it into Northern's other science and health programs. Rugg says the relocation will enlarge the amount of floor space available to the nursing program and increase the Simulation Lab from one to three rooms.