Officials from St. Hubert, Manor College and Jefferson Health last week gathered on the St. Hubert steps to announce the “Health Careers in 1-2-3” partnership.
Academically eligible students at St. Hubert will begin taking college-level classes, then attend two years of college classes at Manor. Upon graduation, those students will perform their clinical work at Jefferson Health, which is offering job placement in one of its six hospitals.
Jefferson will also offer scholarships to cover the cost of Manor classes as well as providing healthcare mentors, educational seminars and career fairs for St. Hubert students.
The initiative is the continuation of a partnership between St. Hubert and Manor, which have partnered together for more than five years, most recently to offer certificate programs in Entrepreneurship and Allied Health Pre-Professional.
Among those making the announcement were Lizanne Pando, president of St. Hubert; Gina MacKenzie, principal of St. Hubert; Jonathan Peri, president of Manor College; and Michelle Conley, chief nursing officer at Jefferson Health-North Region.
St. Hubert junior Samantha Williams, who takes healthcare courses with Manor, said she is excited that the partnership includes “jobs with Jefferson.” She wants to be a NICU nurse.
Conley said Williams will be joining a noble profession. A Gallup poll has shown that nurses have been at the top of the “most trusted” professions for 21 consecutive years, ever since firefighters topped the list following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Pando said 41 percent of St. Hubert graduates have gone on to work in healthcare, adding that the field has employment opportunities.
“The Northeast needs more nurses and healthcare professionals,” she said.
Peri said Manor is happy to partner with “two amazing institutions.” He said Manor and St. Hubert have a history of putting students first, and that Jefferson’s job placement is a “blessing.” Ultimately, he said, the partnership “keeps Philadelphians in Philadelphia.”
MacKenzie said the partnership is the first of its kind in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and expects it will lead to financially and emotionally rewarding careers for St. Hubert students.
“We are thrilled for our partners and excited for our students,” she said. ••
