Students, educators, counselors, and professionals across eastern Kentucky are invited to Shaping Our Appalachian Region, or SOAR’s, Healthcare Career Pathway Fair. Officials said the university is a prime spot for the event because of its bolstered healthcare and education systems, though attendees will get to meet and network with professionals and organizations across the region.
Kirsten Wilburn is the Operations Manager with SOAR. She said one goal of the fair is to foster and encourage prospective healthcare workers to dedicate their service to eastern Kentucky, a region that’s been hit hard by a lack of practitioners.
“We have an aging population of people who stay here, but our out migration is showing a younger population leaving,” said Wilburn. “So, our big thing is we need our youth to stay here to not only work and be part of this economic ecosystem in eastern Kentucky, but also to care for the generations that built this place for them.”
Wilburn added non-traditional students, including people who do not pursue a four-year degree immediately after high school, are a key population the fair hopes to reach. Sometimes, these students don’t always see a clear path forward, and Wilburn said SOAR hopes to show these students that they can pursue healthcare in a multitude of ways.
“That doesn’t always include four-year degrees. That includes two-year degrees, or training certifications. So, this whole event is really aimed to solidify that issue. We educate the students about it, but on the other side of that we educate the teachers and counselors who attend the event with the students,” said Wilburn.
The SOAR Healthcare Career Pathway Fair will be held on March 18, 9 a.m. 2 p.m. on MSU's campus. Attendees will participate in multiple hands-on educational workshops and networking sessions. Registration for students and school groups is available online.
soar.ky.org