A new "earn-as-you-learn" program will pay trainees to learn the supply chain, then funnel them into positions at Chicago-based Rush Health, the Chicago Sun Times reported Oct. 27.
The training is orchestrated by Jump Hire, a workforce development organization. Trainees receive a $150 weekly stipend along with a transportation stipend, free childcare and mentorship, according to the newspaper. Upon completion of the program, trainees are guaranteed an interview for a full-time position at Rush Health, including benefits and advancement opportunities.
Workers could be placed anywhere along Rush Health's supply chain, from stocking medical supply warehouses and hospitals to tracking inventory, the newspaper reported.
The program consists of four months' training and requires "a few hours of work" per day, two to three days per week, according to the newspaper. The training is two parts: The first trains workers in "soft skills," like basic computer programs and customer service. The second trains them hands-on at either Rush University Medical Center or the hospital's warehouse.
"We’re overlooking the talent right in our backyard and this is about creating that pipeline to it," Jeremy Strong, vice president for supply chains at Rush Health, told the newspaper.