Formed in 2019 as a direct response to the region’s urgent need for more healthcare and health science workers, the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers is a collaboration of educators, employers, and economic development professionals in the Roanoke and New River Valleys, the Alleghany Highlands, and the greater Lynchburg region that make up GO Virginia Region 2.
The need for local health science careers has never been greater:
- According to the Roanoke Regional Partnership, health and life sciences is one of the region’s strongest industries, with more than 41,000 people employed in nearly 300 firms, and jobs expected to grow 7% by 2029.
- GO Virginia Region 2 had 6,463 health-related graduates from area institutions in 2018 and 6,320 in 2019 (Valleys Innovation Council, 2019), a reduction which has impacted employers.
The Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers aims to solidify the Roanoke and New River Valleys, the Alleghany Highlands, and the greater Lynchburg region as a health sciences leader with the help of three hospital systems, five long-term care headquarters, home health providers, seventeen school districts, four community colleges, five 4-year universities, and three post-graduate institutions.
See the complete list of health employers and education partners.
The Challenge
The health and life sciences sector faces ongoing challenges in hiring and retaining qualified employees because of the pandemic. Better collaboration between businesses and education helps connect graduates to jobs, fostering economic investment as companies seek a region with a strong talent pool and access to quality healthcare.
The Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers accelerates business-education collaboration, increases the number of health and life sciences graduates, fosters a talent pipeline directly to employers, and encourages economic growth through regional investment.