Last week, the first pilot program of the North Carolina Health Talent Alliance’s officially launched in Wilmington. The Talent Alliance is a landmark partnership led by the NC Chamber Foundation and the NC Center on the Workforce for Health.

Vincent Ginski, Director of Workforce Competitiveness for the NC Chamber Foundation said, “The overarching goal of the NC Health Talent Alliance remains simple, but bold: We aim to eliminate talent shortages in one of the state’s bedrock economic sectors and create sustainable talent pipelines directly responsive to health care employers’ most critical needs.”

To accomplish this, the Alliance is utilizing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s proven Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM) program across the North Carolina Area Health Education Center’s (AHEC) network. The group will launch regional employer collaboratives in four of the nine AHEC regions: Southeast, Piedmont, Northwest, and South Piedmont.

TPM will help Southeastern NC, which is one of the fastest growing areas in the country, address their health care worker shortage. Their group, led by the Wilmington Chamber and South East AHEC (SEAHEC), has already engaged 44 Wilmington employers regarding TPM in the region.

“This collaborative effort will nurture public-private alliances, identify training deficiencies, and provide support for individuals seeking to complete essential healthcare training,” said Wilmington Chamber President and CEO Natalie English.”

Regional managers will guide the work in each region. The creation of this unique regional role is the core of the NC Health Talent Alliance. The TPM Regional Manager is responsible for tracking regional data, collaborating with employers, and working with training providers to improve outcomes. Without this type of regional leader, it is difficult for employers to work collectively on solutions to the talent gap. Regional managers in the Southeast region (through the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce) and Piedmont have already been hired and begun working.

“Health care is a bedrock economic sector in North Carolina and requires a strong, sustainable workforce” said Meredith Archie, president of the NC Chamber Foundation. “The Wilmington Chamber has stepped up to engage its health care community and lead on solutions to address this critical need for the region. We look forward to partnering in this effort and providing support through the proven Talent Pipeline Management framework.”

“Existing health workforce shortages were worsened by Covid” said Hugh Tilson, director of the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC). “Wilmington area stakeholders and leadership had already been working toward identifying workforce solutions in the health care sector so it was an ideal location for a pilot program. The TPM program provides them with a major tool—a framework—which will help them organize employers locally and regionally to meet the region’s health workforce needs.”

You may read more about the Wilmington announcement here.